The Shepherds: The Life We've Made
by xxLittle Black Dressxx
Summary: Sequel to The Shepherds. Addison, Derek, and their daughter, Willa, embark on the next chapter of their lives, and all the twists and turns that come with it. Main couple: Addison/Derek. Other couples: Alex/Izzie, Mark/Lexie.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've never really thought of my stories as the type that lend themselves to sequels, but I got such nice feedback on the Shepherds, and some really great suggestions for a sequel, so I figured I'd go for it. Plus, I really liked writing Addison, Derek, and Willa's family dynamic, so I'm happy to be picking that up again.

If you haven't read The Shepherds, you don't need to read it in order to understand this story (although, I would never discourage you from reading it). For those of you that have read The Shepherds, this story is set about two years after The Shepherds ends. Addison and Derek are the main couple in this story, but I also thought it would be fun to add in some Izzie/Alex and some Mark/Lexie. And, as I write this, I realize that all three couples, in this story, don't have a snowball's chance in hell on the show…how sad (both for my sake and the show's). Anyway, here's the first chapter; I hope you like it, and thanks so much for reading!

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**The Shepherds: The Life We've Made**

_Through the years, I've never been afraid.  
I've loved the life we've made.  
And I'm so glad I've stayed, right here with you  
Through the years._

Addison got down on one knee, and opened a small box to reveal a stunning, square-cut diamond ring. "Will you marry me?" she asked.

"No, no, it's all wrong," Alex insisted, shaking his head firmly. "That's not the right ring."

"Alex, I've proposed to you eight times already," Addison sighed. "People are starting to stare."

"So let them stare," Alex shrugged. "This is important. I can't propose to Izzie with just any ring. It needs to be perfect."

"You know, I should have known something was up when you invited me out for lunch and shopping," Addison muttered.

"Hey, I treated you to lunch," Alex defended. "And we technically are shopping. What do think of that ring?" he asked, pointing to a princess-cut diamond ring in the glass display case.

"I like it," Addison nodded. "You won't. It's too similar to the third ring you looked at. And you didn't like that ring at all when I proposed to you with it."

Alex nodded in agreement. "I knew I made the right choice bringing you," he smirked.

"Oh, like there was really another option," Addison laughed. "Hey, what about that one?" she asked, suddenly growing serious, and pointing to an oval-cut diamond, surrounded by several smaller diamonds.

"I like it," Alex smiled.

"Would you like to see it?" the woman behind the counter asked.

"We would," Alex nodded, accepting the ring from the woman. He turned to Addison. "Here," he said, handing her the ring. "Propose to me."

Addison chuckled, and got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

A wide smile spread across Alex's face. "That's the ring," he declared. "That's definitely the one. Thank you, Addison," he grinned, pulling his friend into a hug.

"It's a beautiful ring," Addison complimented. "Izzie's going to love it."

"I think she will," Alex agreed.

"I can't believe you're getting married," Addison smiled.

"Me either," Alex admitted. "But, I don't know, this feels right."

Addison nodded. "You and Izzie are a great couple. It's right. So, have you thought about how you're going to pop the question?"

"Well, she kind of knows it's coming," Alex explained. "We've been talking about it a lot, so it's not like my proposal is going to be that surprising. I mean, she's already started looking at those Bride magazines."

"All women look at Bride magazines," Addison laughed.

"Yeah, but we've talked about it, and we've already started to make wedding plans, because we don't want to waste a lot of time with a long engagement."

Addison raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason for that?" she asked coyly.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.

Addison shrugged innocently. "I don't know, it's just, usually when people plan a wedding quickly, there's a reason…like a baby on the way? So…"

"What? No!" Alex exclaimed.

"Hey, I was just asking. I wasn't judging," Addison insisted, putting her hands up in protest. "You know as well as I do that accidents happen all the time."

"Accidents?" Alex smirked. "Are you really going to use that word? I mean, I hate to point out the obvious, but Willa-"

"Was unplanned," Addison cut in quickly. "But not an accident." She looked Alex and chuckled. "Point well taken, though. So, no baby?"

"No baby," Alex confirmed, as he handed the woman behind the counter his credit card to pay for Izzie's ring.

Addison smiled as she watched Alex carefully put the ring in his pocket. "Come on," she told him, "I'm taking you out for a celebratory drink."

Alex grinned. "See, things like this are exactly why you're going to make an incredible best man."

Addison raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be your best man?" she asked in surprise.

"Why do you sound so shocked? You're the obvious choice."

"You have a brother," Addison pointed out.

"We don't get along," Alex shrugged. "And you're my best friend-"

"Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd hear come out of your mouth," Addison smirked.

"Me either," Alex agreed. "But you kind of are, so will you do it?"

"I'd be happy to," Addison smiled. "Come on," she chuckled. "Let's go get drinks. We have a lot to celebrate."

xxxxx

"Hello?" Addison called out, as she let herself and Alex into her house.

"We're in the playroom," Derek called back.

"Hey," Addison smiled, as she walked into the playroom to find Derek, Mark, and Willa sitting around Willa's play table, having a tea party.

"Nice hats, ladies," Alex smirked, gesturing to the matching large, floppy, straw hats that Derek and Mark were wearing.

"Willa's idea," Mark chuckled.

"Mommy!" Willa exclaimed, getting up from the tea party and running into Addison's outstretched arms.

Addison picked her daughter up and smiled. "Hey, Willa. Did you have a fun day with Daddy and Uncle Mark?"

Willa nodded, and Addison gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, before putting her back down again. Willa immediately ran over to her collection of hats, in the corner of the playroom, and looked at them thoughtfully before selecting a navy blue floppy hat and a hunter green floppy hat. "Here," she said, handing Addison the navy hat and Alex the hunter one.

"Thank you, Willa," Alex laughed, as he placed the hat on his head, chuckling as Willa took him and Addison by the hand, and dragged them over to the tea party.

"Where did she get all of these floppy hats from?" Mark chuckled. "We all look ridiculous, by the way."

"Bizzy gave them to her," Addison laughed, as Willa climbed onto her lap.

"I knew they looked too expensive to be kids' dress-up hats," Mark mused.

"Don't most grandmothers just give their granddaughters dolls or toys?" Alex asked.

"Bizzy's not most grandmothers," Derek explained. "And Willa likes hats."

"She does like hats," Addison agreed.

Derek gave his wife a teasing smirk. "I mean, you're probably largely to blame for that. Remember all of those baby hats you bought for her when she was an infant?"

"Hey, you bought her first baby hat," Addison pointed out.

"Yeah," Derek nodded, smiling at the memory. "I guess I did."

Addison smiled as her daughter cuddled up against her. "I think you two wore her out today," she told Mark and Derek. She turned to Derek. "We should probably get her fed and bathed."

"Yeah," Derek agreed. He turned to Alex and Mark. "You guys are more than welcome to stay for dinner. We were just going to order in and have a few drinks. You should stay."

"Yeah, stay," Willa murmured tiredly.

Alex gave the little girl an apologetic smile. "I wish I could, but Izzie's shift is over in an hour, so I should get home."

"Yeah, I can't stay either," Mark said vaguely.

Addison smiled. "Who's the girl, Mark?"

"What?" Mark asked in surprise. "There's no girl. I just, I can't stay."

Addison raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Mark Sloan?"

Mark shrugged coyly. "I should probably go."

"Yeah, you don't want to be late for Whoever-she-is," Derek joked.

"Cute," Mark said dryly. "Anyway, I've gotta run," he said, standing up and taking off his floppy hat. He turned to his niece and smiled. "Thanks for tea, Willa. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Willa smiled, blowing her uncle a kiss.

"And you're worried about me?" Mark smirked at Addison and Derek. "Your daughter's two-and-a-half years old, and she's already a flirt."

"Yeah, but she's harmless," Derek chuckled, as he watched Willa move out of Addison's lap to give Alex a hug and a kiss goodbye. "_You_, however," he said, pointing at Mark. "Well, you're not so harmless."

xxxxx

"You're late," Lexie accused flirtatiously, as Mark walked toward his apartment building to find her sitting outside of it.

"I'm sorry," Mark apologized. "I was with Derek and Addison, and I lost track of time."

"You didn't tell them about us, did you?" Lexie asked nervously.

Mark shook his head. "I didn't. But I want to. They're my friends. They could be your friends too."

"Oh, no. No, no, no. Derek and Addison and I could never be friends," Lexie insisted.

"Why not?" Mark asked in confusion. "They're nice people. You're incredible. I don't see-"

"I'm a Grey!" Lexie exclaimed.

"Yeah, and?"

"I'm a Grey," Lexie repeated slowly.

"I still don't see the problem."

Lexie sighed. "Look, my sister's not exactly Addison and Derek's biggest fan. If I became friends with them, I feel like I'd be cheating on Meredith. Plus, I can't imagine that Addison likes Meredith very much…she'll probably hate me by extension."

"You're worrying about nothing," Mark insisted. "Addison and Derek have moved past what happened with Meredith. They've been happily remarried for two years now."

"I don't know," Lexie shrugged, unconvinced.

"I'm telling you, Lex, you're making this out to be a bigger deal than it really is. Addison and Derek like you."

"Yeah, as a doctor," Lexie scoffed. "And that's just because the rest of my year isn't very good."

"They'll like you as a person too," Mark chuckled. "You just need to give them a chance."

"But what about Meredith?" Lexie asked.

"What about her?"

"I can't just strike up a friendship with her ex-boyfriend and his wife. That's…un-sisterly."

"Well, I guess I can't offer you much advice there," Mark admitted. "It's just, I like you, Lexie, and I think my friends would like you too. And it would be nice if I didn't have to hide you from them."

Lexie looked at her boyfriend intently. "This really means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah."

Lexie sighed. "I guess I might be able to try."

"Really?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," Lexie nodded. "But, uh, can we take things slow? You know, maybe I can become friends with Little Shepherd first…you know, before I take on a friendship with her parents."

"You want to be friends with Willa?" Mark asked in amusement.

"Well, not friends," Lexie clarified. "But it wouldn't hurt if she liked me."

"Okay," Mark nodded. "But Willa likes everyone."

"Good," Lexie smiled. "That's exactly what I'll need to get my confidence up."

xxxxx

"Hey," Addison smiled, as she walked out of the bathroom, into her and Derek's master bedroom to find Derek sitting on the bed, in his pajamas, with what looked like a blue piece of fabric in his hands. "What's in your hands?"

Derek smiled guiltily, and held up a small, pale blue, crocheted baby hat. "I found this earlier today. Do you remember it?"

A small smile spread across Addison's face. "Of course I remember it." Derek had brought that hat and a pale pink one to the ultrasound where they found out that Willa was a girl. He had given Addison the pale pink baby hat when they learned that they were having a daughter, but she had no idea what he had done with the blue one. "I didn't know you kept that," Addison said softly, as she sat down on the bed next to her husband.

Derek shrugged. "I thought we might need it one day," he said with a smile.

Addison looked at her husband intently. "Derek…what are you saying?"

Derek gave his wife a warm smile. "I want another baby."

"I, uh," Addison stammered.

"I think it would pretty perfect," Derek continued. "I mean, the plan was always to have two kids, right? And Willa would be such a good sister. And kids need family, Addie. So…"

"I, um," Addison stuttered, suddenly finding herself incapable of forming words.

"Addison," Derek prodded gently, sensing his wife's discomfort.

"I don't know," Addison admitted. "I know that when we talked about having a family, in the past, the plan was always two kids. But I don't know. Willa's amazing…she's better than amazing. And I think, I think she's enough for me."

Derek nodded. "I just, I thought it might be nice for Willa to have a friend...someone who's always in her corner…like you and Archer."

Addison smiled at Derek's mention of her older brother. "I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up without him," she admitted. "We always had each other to hang out with at our parents' boring parties. And we used to cover for each other all the time when were teenagers. Oh, and then there were all those summers at the vineyard. You know," Addison began, "I still remember this one time when were riding our bikes at the vineyard, and I flipped over the handlebars of my bike, and my face was all scraped up, and I was scared and crying. And Archie…he picked me up, and told me that it was going to be okay. And then he carried me the half mile back home."

"Are you sure you're talking about the same Archer I know?" Derek teased.

"Oh, shut it," Addison chuckled, playfully hitting Derek's bicep. She paused for a moment, and grew serious. "It's not that I don't want that for Willa…I just, I kind of like our family the way it is."

"I like our family the way it is too," Derek agreed. "And I'm not telling you that I want another baby to pressure you into having one, because I'm not. I want you to know that I'm perfectly happy with you, me, and Willa. I just, I wanted to put all the cards on the table."

"So, you wouldn't resent me if I said I didn't want another baby?" Addison asked hesitantly.

Derek shook his head. "I wouldn't resent you. And you don't feel like I'm pressuring you to have another baby?" he asked.

Addison shook her head. "I don't."

Derek smiled. "Good."

"I'm not saying no," Addison said quickly. "I mean, you're right, it would be nice for Willa to have a friend. I just, I need some more time to think about it."

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "I get that," he said. "It's not something we need to decide tonight."

"Right," Addison smiled, leaning in and kissing her husband softly. "Anyway, we should probably get to sleep. It's late, and we both have to be up early tomorrow."

Derek nodded in agreement, as he and Addison pulled the covers down and climbed into bed. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, as she moved to rest her head on his chest.

"Night, Derek."

"Night, Addie," he smiled, kissing her gently.

Addison was almost asleep, when she felt a slight tug at her arm. She rolled over tiredly, and saw Willa trying to climb into her bed. "Hey, Willa," she whispered, being careful not to wake Derek up, as she gently lifted her daughter up onto the bed. "Are you okay?"

Willa nodded.

"No bad dreams?" Addison asked.

Willa shook her head.

"Are you sick? Does something hurt?"

"No."

"Then why aren't you in your bed?" Addison asked.

"I missed you," Willa said quietly, as she cuddled up against her mother.

And even though Addison knew that she really should be encouraging her daughter to sleep in her toddler bed, a part of her couldn't bring herself to make Willa go back to her room. "I missed you too," Addison smiled, gently pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

Willa quickly fell asleep and, as she watched her daughter, Addison couldn't help thinking about how much Willa had changed her life; she couldn't imagine her life without Willa. And, as she continued to watch her daughter sleep, Addison thought about her conversation with Derek. She had meant it when she told Derek that Willa was enough for her, but as the conversation went on, she felt herself wavering a little. She wanted Willa to have what she and Archer had growing up. She wanted her daughter to have a partner in crime. She wasn't worried about Willa adjusting to a new sibling, and she certainly wasn't worried about Derek as a father of two; she was worried about herself. Would _she_ be a good mother to two children? Did she want to be a mother of two?

She watched as Willa stirred in her sleep, and gently stroked the little girl's back until she settled down again. And Addison didn't know if it was the peaceful look on her daughter's face as she slept, or if it was reminiscing over her own memories with her brother, or if it was Derek's eagerness to have another baby, or a combination off all three, but suddenly the idea of having another child didn't seem like a bad one.

"Hey, Derek," she whispered, gently nudging her husband. "Derek."

Derek rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Addison?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Derek," Addison whispered, being careful not to wake their sleeping daughter. "I've been thinking about it, and I-I want what you want."

"Sleep?" Derek asked tiredly. "That's all I want right now."

"No," Addison insisted, nudging her husband a little harder. "I want another baby. I want Willa to have a sibling. I've been thinking about it, and I want that."

"Really?" Derek asked in surprise, sitting up in bed. "Are you sure? Are you sure you're not just overtired? Because I meant it when I said that we don't have to decide on anything tonight."

"I'm sure, Derek," Addison said, meeting his eyes. "I want a baby."

Derek gave his wife a warm smile before leaning in and kissing her softly. "I want that too. So," he began suggestively, "I know we have to get up early tomorrow, but I'm suddenly wide awake. What do you say we get a jump start-"

"Absolutely not," Addison cut in.

Derek looked at his wife in surprise.

"Willa's in our bed," Addison explained, moving over slightly so that Derek could get a glimpse of their sleeping daughter.

"Oh," Derek stammered uncomfortably. "In that case, forget I said anything. Forget I even suggested it."

"Rain check?" Addison offered with a chuckle.

A wide smile spread across Derek's face. "Definitely."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the nice feedback on the first chapter! I'm glad that you are as excited as I am about this sequel. Here's the next chapter; I hope you like it. And, as always, thanks for reading!

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"Hey, Willa," Derek smiled, "do you want to try some of my muesli?"

Willa looked to the bowl of cereal that her father was gesturing at, and shook her head.

"Okay," Derek chuckled, handing his daughter a pink plastic spoon, "how about you just stick to your oatmeal."

Willa smiled appreciatively, and stuck her spoon into the small bowl of oatmeal that her father had put in front of her, and Derek couldn't help smiling at what had become one of his favorite morning traditions. Normally, he and Addison tried to have Willa fed before they went into work, but on those mornings where Addison had an early morning surgery, Derek would bring Willa to the hospital cafeteria, and the two of them would eat breakfast there together. Today was one of those mornings. He was just about to stick his spoon into his muesli, when Izzie came rushing over to him.

"Dr. Shepherd," she smiled, "just the person I wanted to see." She looked at Willa, who was sitting on Derek's lap and grinned. "Hey, Willa."

"Hi, Izzie," Willa smiled.

"I like your dress," Izzie complimented. "Did Mommy pick it out?"

"Yes," Willa nodded, looking down at her grey Bonpoint dress.

"Uh, Dr. Stevens, you said you needed me," Derek cut in. "Is this about a patient?"

"Oh, no, definitely not," Izzie reassured her boss. "I just, I need your advice."

"My advice?" Derek asked in surprise.

Izzie nodded and took a seat next to Derek and Willa. "This weekend is Alex's birthday, and I want to do something special for him, so I was kind of hoping I could run some ideas by you."

"Are you sure you don't want my wife's advice?" Derek asked. "Addison's a lot better at these kinds of things."

"But you're a guy," Izzie insisted. "You know how guys think. And you're one of my closest friends. I trust your opinion."

"Okay," Derek shrugged. "I guess I might be able to help."

"Great," Izzie smiled. "So, Alex and I both have the weekend off, and I was thinking about maybe booking a hotel. That way we could get away, maybe have breakfast in bed, and I was thinking that we could go to a steakhouse for dinner. Guys like that kind of stuff, right?"

"Guys definitely like that kind of stuff," Derek nodded. "You didn't need my help."

"Except I do," Izzie insisted.

"It sounds like you have the whole weekend planned," Derek disagreed.

"I, uh, I want to buy new lingerie," Izzie stammered, lowering her voice.

"Oh, um, well that's nice, I guess. But that's really not my business."

"Except it is," Izzie persisted. "I just made it your business."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to Addison about this?" Derek asked, covering Willa's ears with his hands. "She's bought a lot more lingerie than I have."

"But you're a guy," Izzie pointed out.

"Guys like all lingerie," Derek chuckled. "You know that as well as I do."

"I know," Izzie admitted. "I just, I want something special. So, I guess I was just wondering…"

"I'm your boss," Derek cut in.

"Please, we're practically family," Izzie insisted. "I baby-sit your kid, we spend the holidays together, Alex and I have even gone on vacation with you, Addison, and Willa. The question really isn't that out of line."

"Guys like all lingerie," Derek repeated.

Izzie chuckled, sensing her boss' discomfort.

Derek sighed in resignation, before covering Willa's ears with his hands again. "I don't like anything too complicated; you know what I mean? The stuff with all the ties and straps that takes forever to take off…that's more frustrating than anything else."

"It takes forever to get into too," Izzie smirked.

"So I've heard."

Izzie looked at Derek closely. "You're a black, lacy type of guy, aren't you?"

"I," Derek hesitated. Izzie wasn't wrong – but Derek wasn't sure how comfortable he felt sharing these kinds of things with her. "You know, I'm probably not the best person for this," Derek stammered, doing his best to deflect the question. "Isn't this the type of thing that women talk about?"

"I'm just trying to get a man's perspective," Izzie said innocently. "I'm not trying to pry into your sex life."

"I mean, it kind of feels like you are," Derek muttered.

"Fine, I'll ask Addison," Izzie chuckled.

"That's probably a good idea," Derek nodded.

"Okay," Izzie laughed. "Hey, Dr. Shepherded?"

"Yes?"

"This conversation…this stays between us, right?"

Derek chuckled. "Believe me, Dr. Stevens; I don't plan on telling anyone. As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened."

"Good," Izzie smiled, as she got up and started to walk away.

"Hey Dr. Stevens," he called out before Izzie could get very far.

Izzie turned to face him. "Yes?"

Derek hesitated for a moment. "You can't go wrong with black and lacy," he finally said. "Trust me."

xxxxx

"Hey, how'd your surgery go?" Derek asked Addison, as he joined her by the nurses' station.

Addison looked up from the chart she was filling out and smiled. "It was good. It was really good," she said, putting the chart down on the desk. "How was your morning?"

"It was good," Derek nodded, taking his wife's hand and leading her away from the nurses' station, and into an empty corridor. "So, I was thinking," he whispered huskily in her ear, "you still owe me from last night. I've got some time…you've got some time…so I was thinking…"

"Derek," Addison scolded. "Not here."

"What? Why?" Derek asked. "We used to have sex in on-call rooms all the time when we were interns."

"Exactly," Addison said. "We're not interns anymore. We're adults. We have a child. We can't act like we did back when we were interns."

"Why not?" Derek asked. "I've got a late surgery, so sex later tonight probably won't be an option for us. And now that you mention it, it's been a while since we've last had sex in an on-call room, so…"

"I," Addison stammered, fighting the urge to give in to Derek.

Derek chuckled, sensing that his wife's resolve was weakening. "It's for a good cause," he reminded her, giving her a playful smile.

"That's true," Addison said coyly, taking a step closer to Derek, leaving almost no space between them.

"So is that a yes?" Derek murmured against her hair.

Addison met Derek's eyes and smiled. "Yeah," she whispered. "It's a yes."

Derek smiled widely before leading his wife into the closest on-call room and crashing his lips against hers. She responded in kind, kissing him deeply and wrapping her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her in closer. She quickly removed his scrub top, letting her eyes linger appreciatively over her husband's muscular chest before her lips reconnected with his, as they fumbled their way over to an on-call room bed, still making out heatedly. He slipped off her scrub top before easing her down onto the bed, and she quickly pulled him on top of her.

"Hey, Addie," he whispered, as he trailed feather-light kisses up and down her neck, deeply inhaling the scent of her Chanel perfume.

"Hmm," she murmured.

Derek gave his wife a soft smile before kissing her deeply. "This was a really good idea."

xxxxx

"Dr. Grey, do you have a minute?"

Lexie turned to face Mark. "I do," she nodded. "What can I do for you, Dr. Sloan?"

Mark smiled and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh," Lexie said in surprise. "Now? Really?"

Mark shrugged. "I can't think of any reason not to."

"This is our place of work," Lexie hissed. "It's unprofessional."

"It's not like we haven't had sex here before," Mark pointed out.

"Okay, so maybe we've slept together here once or twice," Lexie conceded. "But that was different. That was then…this is now. And besides, we're trying to keep a low profile, remember?"

"It doesn't seem that different," Mark shrugged. "And nobody has to know anything. So…" he trailed off seductively.

"Okay," Lexie agreed hesitantly. "But nobody finds out," she warned, as she opened the door to the nearest on-call room, gasping at the sight in front of her – Derek and Addison were in the middle of having sex on one of the on-call room beds.

"Shit," Lexie breathed, quickly averting her eyes, as Derek scrambled to cover himself and Addison with their discarded clothes.

"I'm so sorry," Lexie apologized, taking in the mixture of confusion and embarrassment on Addison and Derek's faces, before quickly looking away from them in discomfort.

"You might want to close the door," Mark advised his girlfriend. "You know, before this gets even more awkward and uncomfortable."

"Right, right, of course," Lexie stuttered. "I, uh, we…we were just leaving," she told Addison and Derek, as she closed the door.

"Crap," Lexie muttered, as she and Mark walked away from the on-call room, figuring it was probably a good idea to put some space between themselves and the Shepherds. She looked at Mark hopefully. "Maybe they didn't see us…"

"They saw us," Mark chuckled.

"Oh, this is bad," Lexie insisted, shaking her head. "This is really, really bad. This is-"

"Lex, it's no big deal," Mark cut in.

"No big deal?" Lexie repeated, her eyes widening in surprise. "We just walked in on Addison and Derek having sex."

"So," Mark shrugged. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Well it was all new to me!" Lexie exclaimed. "Besides I'm supposed to be trying to get on their good side. I'm pretty sure this isn't going to win me any points with them."

"Lexie, it's okay," Mark insisted.

"What? How is this possibly okay?" Lexie asked. "This is the very opposite of okay."

"Why don't we get your mind off of it," Mark suggested.

"Mark Sloan, you are unbelievable. Do you really think I'm going to sleep with you, right now?"

"Relax, I wasn't talking about sex," Mark chuckled. "I thought we could go visit Willa."

"Willa?" Lexie asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "As in Addison and Derek's daughter, Willa?"

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "Is that a problem?"

"Of course it's a problem," Lexie insisted. "What am I supposed to say to her?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't know, she's two-and-a-half, so your conversation topics are kind of limited. Although, I'd probably try to steer clear of talking about how you just walked in on her parents going at it. But anything else is fair game."

"Funny," Lexie muttered dryly.

"Come on, Lex, it's no big deal," Mark reasoned. "What's the worst she can do to you?"

"She could out us to her parents," Lexie said flatly. "I mean, they probably already suspect that something's going on between us, but Willa could confirm their suspicions."

Mark shook his head. "She's two-and-a-half. She doesn't have the vocabulary to tell Addison and Derek about us. So are you coming or not?"

Lexie sighed. "I guess I'll come," she conceded, following Mark, as they made their way towards the daycare center.

They had barely entered the room before Willa came running up to her uncle, wrapping her little arms around Mark's legs.

"Hey, Little Buddy," Mark grinned, picking his niece up and giving her a hug. "Are you having a fun morning?"

"Yes," Willa nodded, snuggling deeper into her uncle's arms. She looked up at Mark with a smile. "Cereal?" she asked hopefully.

"Okay," Mark chuckled, as he carried Willa over to her nursery cubby, and removed a box of Cheerios. "Let's have some cereal." He sat down at one of the nursery play tables, with his niece on his lap. "Willa, this is Lexie," he said, gesturing towards his girlfriend, as Willa put a couple of Cheerios in her uncle's mouth. "Lexie is a good friend of mine. Can you say hi to Lexie?"

Willa stopped feeding Mark Cheerios and looked at Lexie. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi, Willa," Lexie smiled.

"Cereal?" Willa asked, offering Lexie a tiny fistful of Cheerios.

"Oh, uh, that's okay," Lexie stammered. "You should eat it."

Willa shrugged, and went back to feeding Mark.

"See, she likes you," Mark grinned between bites. "She's only known you for a few minutes and she's already offering you cereal."

"I can see why you're never hungry for lunch," Lexie smirked, as she watched Willa continue to put Cheerios into Mark's mouth. "You're good with her," she smiled, her voice softening.

Mark shrugged. "She's my little buddy. I like being around her."

Lexie smiled, as she watched her boyfriend press a gentle kiss to Willa's forehead.

Willa turned to Lexie and smiled. "Cereal?" she offered again, looking at Lexie hopefully.

Lexie met Mark's eyes and chuckled, before turning her attention back to Willa. "Sure, Willa, I'd love some cereal." And Mark couldn't help smiling as he watched his girlfriend open her mouth widely so that a gleeful Willa could feed her a couple of Cheerios.

"Thanks, Willa," Lexie grinned, when she finished chewing her cereal.

"Welcome," Willa smiled. "More?" she asked, holding out a small handful of Cheerios.

"Uh," Lexie stammered.

"I'll take some more," Mark cut in. "You know I can't say no to you, Willa. Hey, Willa," he said, in between bites of cereal. "Do you like Lexie?"

"Yes," Willa nodded.

Mark looked at Lexie and smiled. "One Shepherd down, two to go."

xxxxx

"Hey, Karev, what do you know about Mark and Lexie?" Addison asked, as she and Alex scrubbed out together.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked in confusion. "I think you know Mark a lot better than I do. And Lexie, well-"

"Are they sleeping together?" Addison cut in.

"What?"

"Are they sleeping together?" Addison repeated.

"What gave you that idea?" Alex chuckled. "Did you walk in on them or something?"

Addison shook her head. "No. If I had walked in on them, I would know that they're sleeping together, and wouldn't need to ask you."

Alex studied his boss closely. "Did they walk in on you and Derek?"

"They, uh," Addison stammered uncomfortably.

"They did, didn't they?" Alex smirked knowingly.

"How did you-"

"You're an easy read," Alex laughed. "And you're my best friend. Speaking of which, how do I look?"

Addison looked at Alex in confusion. "You always look good."

"So, if I proposed to you, right now, you'd say yes?" Alex asked.

"I'm married, Karev."

Alex sighed in exasperation, waiting for his boss to catch up. "I'm proposing to Izzie tonight," he finally explained slowly.

"Oh," Addison smiled, as the look of confusion dissipated from her face. "You look perfect. I would absolutely say yes. And more importantly, Izzie is absolutely going to say yes."

"Thanks," Alex smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Wish me luck."

Addison gave her resident a wide smile. "Good luck, Alex," she said sincerely. "But you don't need it."

xxxxx

"Hey, Alex, is everything okay?" Izzie asked, as she walked into the on-call room that Alex had paged her to.

"Yeah," Alex smiled, as he moved to lock the door behind her. "Everything's okay."

"You sure?" she asked her boyfriend in confusion. "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

Alex took her by the hand, and led her over to the closest on-call room bed. "You know, I never thought I'd be the type of guy who settled down with one woman for the rest of my life," he admitted. "But then I met you, and you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're stubborn, and you make me want to be a better man. You make me think that I'm capable of being a good man. And when I'm with you, I want to be a good man…I want to be the type of man who settles down and gets married and, one day, has kids. I want that, Iz. And I want that with you. So, Izzie," he smiled, reaching into his pocket and removing the ring that he had spent so much time deliberating over, "will you marry me?"

"Seriously?" Izzie gasped.

Alex met her eyes and smiled. "Yes, seriously. Izzie, will you marry me?"

"Yes," Izzie breathed, wrapping her arms around Alex's neck and kissing him deeply. "Alex, I love you so much," she smiled when they broke apart.

"I love you too," Alex grinned, as he slipped the ring on Izzie's finger, smiling at how perfect it looked.

"You picked a beautiful ring," Izzie complimented, meeting her fiancé's eyes. "I love it."

"Really?" Alex asked. "I've never gone ring shopping before, and I-"

But Izzie cut him off with a kiss. "You did a great job, Alex," she reassured him. "I love the ring, and I love you."

xxxxx

Derek quietly made his way up the stairs towards his room. His surgery had run even later than he had expected, and he was exhausted. As he entered his bedroom, he saw Addison asleep on their bed, and he smiled when he saw Willa cuddled up next to her. It wasn't a surprising scene – Addison often let Willa fall asleep in their room when he had a late surgery. But it never failed to bring a smile to his face. And, after the night he'd had, he needed that.

He gently lifted Willa up off the bed and began carrying her into her room. He had almost made it to Willa's room when the little girl began to stir. "Daddy?" she asked, tiredly rubbing her pale blue-green eyes.

"It's okay, Willa," Derek whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Willa nodded. "Love you," she mumbled tiredly.

"I love you too, Willa," Derek smiled, gently placing Willa on her toddler bed, and wrapping her pale purple comforter around her. He lingered for a moment, watching his daughter, as she drifted off to sleep. He was so focused on watching Willa, he didn't hear Addison come into the room, and he smiled as he felt his wife wrap her arms around his waist.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"Hey," she whispered back. "She was asking for you tonight," Addison said, gesturing towards their daughter. "She missed her dad."

"I missed her too," Derek admitted. "And you."

"How'd the surgery go?" Addison whispered.

Derek sighed heavily and motioned for Addison to follow him out of Willa's room.

"Not good?" Addison asked once they were in the hallway.

"The patient made it through the surgery," Derek began. "But, I don't know, I don't think he's gonna to make it very long." He met his wife's eyes. "You know those surgeries where you do everything right, and the patient survives, but you just have that feeling that the patient's not going to make it…you know those surgeries?"

"I do," Addison nodded, gently caressing Derek's cheek with her hand. "All too well."

"Yeah," Derek said quietly. "That's what tonight felt like."

"I'm sorry," Addison apologized, kissing her husband softly on the cheek. "Hey, I have an idea," she began. "Why don't you change into your pajamas, I'll make us some juju, and we can just hang out downstairs for a little while. You need to unwind before you go to bed."

Derek wrapped his arms around his wife, and kissed her deeply. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"So is that a yes?" Addison asked.

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "I'll meet you downstairs in two minutes."

A few minutes later, Derek and Addison were sitting on their living room couch, a mug of hot chocolate in each of their hands.

"This was a good idea, Addison," Derek smiled, wrapping an arm around his wife. "I needed this."

Addison smiled at her husband warmly before leaning in and kissing him softly, tasting the hot chocolate that was still lingering on his lips. Derek was about to deepen the kiss, when the pitter-patter of little feet made him think better of it. He and Addison quickly broke apart and looked up to see Willa toddling over to them.

"Hey, Willa," Derek smiled, as he lifted his daughter onto his lap. "What's up?"

Willa didn't say anything – just looked up at her father and gave him a heart-meltingly adorable smile before snuggling up against his chest and closing her eyes.

Derek pressed a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead and met his wife's eyes. "She's just like you," he told her, as he wrapped his arm around Addison and brought her in closer.

"How so?" Addison asked, as she gently rubbed her daughter's tiny back.

Derek looked from his daughter to his wife and smiled. "She knows exactly what to do to make me feel better."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind feedback on this story so far! I love hearing what you think. I'm sorry it's taken a while for me to update, but this chapter's a pretty long one, so hopefully that makes up for it. ;) I hope you enjoy, and thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"Addison," Derek called out, as he knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Addison, I'd like to get in there some time today. I'm sure you look-"

But he was cut off by Addison opening the bathroom door. "I'm late," she said flatly.

"You're not late yet," Derek said, checking his watch. "But if you don't hurry up then, yes, we're going to be late for work."

Addison shook her head. "No, _I'm _late," she repeated, gesturing to the pregnancy test sitting on the bathroom counter.

"Oh my God," Derek breathed, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up," Addison admitted. "I'm only a few days late, so it might be nothing."

"But you're like clockwork," Derek insisted.

Addison nodded; her husband wasn't wrong. "Still, let's try not to get our hopes up," she said gently.

"Okay," Derek agreed. "So, wait, did you take the test?"

Addison nodded.

Derek smiled. "So, can we look? Do you want to look first? Or I could look," he offered. "Or we could both look at the same time."

"Those do seem to be all the options, don't they?" Addison smirked, as she glanced at her husband, who looked like a little boy on Christmas morning. So much for him not getting his hopes up too high. "I guess I'll look first," she said hesitantly, as she reached out and grabbed the pregnancy test off the counter.

She swallowed hard, as she looked down at it. "It's negative, Derek," she said quietly, not looking up from the pregnancy test in her hand. "It's negative."

Derek ran his hand through his hair in disappointment, before walking up behind Addison and wrapping his arms around her waist, tucking his head on her shoulder, as he looked down at the pregnancy test in Addison's hand, and confirmed what she had told him with his own eyes.

"I'm sorry," Addison apologized.

"Addison," Derek chided, turning her in his arms so that he could meet her eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry about. We've only been trying for a few months. You and I both know that these things take time."

"You're disappointed," Addison said sadly, looking into her husband's eyes.

"I am," Derek said gently. "But not with you or me. I'm disappointed because I want another baby with you. But we'll get our baby. It'll happen."

Addison shrugged, and quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. "Damn it. What's wrong with me?" she asked in frustration. "Why am I crying over this? A few months ago, I wasn't even sure if I wanted another baby…and now I'm crying over a negative pregnancy test. Something's wrong with me. Something's definitely wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you," Derek reassured his wife, as he rubbed her back gently. But a small part of him couldn't help thinking that maybe Addison had a point. His wife wasn't really a crier and, now that he thought about it, she did seem a little hormonal. Of course, he knew better than to say those thoughts out loud – that wouldn't end well for anyone. "Maybe you should take another pregnancy test," he suggested lightly. "Those things are wrong all the time."

"No they're not," Addison countered dryly. "Trust me on this one."

"Okay," Derek nodded. "I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to take another test."

"Maybe later," Addison said indifferently. "I need to get ready for work," she sighed, stepping out of Derek's arms, and making her way out of the bathroom. "We don't want to be late."

"Hey, Addie," Derek called out.

Addison stopped and turned to face her husband. "Yeah?"

"If you do decide to take another pregnancy test today, page me and let me know. I want to be there."

Addison sighed. "I probably won't take another test," she admitted. "But if I do, I'll let you know. I want you there too."

xxxxx

A week had passed and Derek was sitting in his office, going over a patient's file, when Izzie knocked on his office door.

"Dr, Shepherd," she smiled. "Do you have a minute?"

"I do," Derek nodded. "Come on in," he said.

"Thanks," Izzie grinned, as she sat down in the chair across from Derek. "Hey, Willa," she cooed to the little girl sitting on Derek's lap.

"Hi, Izzie," Willa smiled.

Izzie turned to Derek and chuckled. "Don't tell me you have her reading up on neurosurgery cases," she teased, gesturing towards the patient's file that was lying open on Derek's desk.

"Hey, it's never too soon to start," Derek defended. "She watched her first surgery at thirteen weeks, and Mark shows her patient files all the time. I figure it can't hurt to expose her to a little neuro as well."

"Right," Izzie laughed.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to see me," Derek pressed.

"Yeah," Izzie nodded.

"And I take it this isn't about a patient?" Derek assessed knowingly.

"Nope," Izzie smiled.

"Should I be nervous?" Derek asked. "The last time we talked like this, you asked me for lingerie advice."

"I think you'll be okay," Izzie smirked. "Anyway," she said, growing serious, "Alex and I got engaged a little over three months ago."

"I know that," Derek nodded. "Addison and I threw you guys an engagement party at our house, remember?"

"I know," Izzie laughed. "And it was a great party. But I didn't come here to tell you that I'm engaged."

"Oh, right, sorry," Derek apologized.

"Derek, you know you're one of my closest friends, right? I mean, you and Addison are like family, so I guess I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor."

"Wait, are you serious?" Derek asked in disbelief.

"Of course I'm serious," Izzie nodded. "Who else would I chose?"

"A woman," Derek suggested.

"Please, I know you're not that old-fashioned," Izzie scoffed. "And it's pretty perfect…Addison's Alex's best man."

"But Addison's good at wedding stuff," Derek insisted.

"Derek, Alex didn't ask Addison to be his best man because she's good at wedding stuff. He asked her because she's his closest friend…just like you're my closest friend."

"When did all of this happen?" Derek chuckled. "I still remember the days when Addison and Alex hated each other. And I never in a million years would have imagined you asking me to be your maid of honor. I always figured you'd go with someone like Meredith or George."

Izzie smiled. "Alex and I are closer to you and Addison. You guys and Willa and Mark have become our family, over the years. So…" Izzie trailed off, looking at Derek hopefully.

"I'll be your maid of honor," Derek grinned.

"Thank you!" Izzie exclaimed, crossing the desk and hugging Derek tightly. "Thank you so much."

"I'm not helping you pick out lingerie to wear on your wedding night," Derek warned. "I'll be your maid of honor, but I draw the line there."

"Okay," Izzie laughed.

"I'm really not very good at wedding planning," Derek mused. "You're probably going to regret asking me to be your maid of honor."

But Izzie was firmly shaking her head. "I won't regret it," she insisted. "You're gonna be great."

xxxxx

"Hey, how's it going?" Mark asked, as he walked into Derek's office, a wide smile on his face. "I like that shirt," he complimented. "Is it new?"

"Uh, is everything alright?" Derek asked suspiciously, knowing full well that Mark's random compliments were almost always followed by some type of irritating or unpleasant news. "I'm not going to have to bail you out of something, am I?"

"Now why would you assume that?" Mark asked, pretending to be hurt. "I like the facial hair, by the way," he added, with a grin. "Keep it that way. No more, no less."

"Okay, stop," Derek chuckled, looking down at the medical journal in front of him.

"Derek, there's something we need to discuss," Mark said, growing serious.

"Okay," Derek nodded, looking up from his journal and meeting Mark's eyes. "What's up?"

Mark sighed heavily. "I, uh-"

But he was cut off by Addison knocking on Derek's office door. "Hey," she smiled. "Am I interrupting?"

Mark shook his head. "No, not at all," he said. "Come in. This, uh, this actually concerns you too. Hey, that's a nice dress," he complimented, flashing Addison a smile. "It's a good color on you too."

"Okay, what's going on?" Addison asked, well aware that Mark's gratuitous compliments usually meant that some type of trouble was afoot.

"I have no idea," Derek admitted. "But he has me worried."

"Mark, is everything okay?" Addison asked in concern, meeting her friend's eyes.

"Yeah, everything's good," Mark nodded, as Addison sat down next to her husband. "It's just…I'm seeing Lexie," he confessed. "I'm sleeping with her too. But it's more than that. We're happy. I'm happy."

"Lexie Grey?" Derek asked in surprise. "You're sleeping with Lexie Grey?"

"I thought that was just a one time thing," Addison added.

Mark shook his head. "No. I've been with her for a while. I just, we didn't know how to tell you. But I'm serious about her…so I'm telling you."

Addison and Derek exchanged a glance, and stared at Mark in confusion.

"Okay," Mark said slowly. "This would be the time where one of you says something."

"She's kind of young," Derek commented after a moment.

"You're not really in a position to judge me there," Mark pointed out. "You dated Meredith."

"But I _married_ Addison," Derek countered. "Meredith's the kind of woman you date. Addison's the type of woman that you marry…the type of woman that you settle down with and make a life with."

"Yeah, but that has nothing to do with age," Mark disagreed. "You and Addison are together because you're perfect together."

"That's true," Derek conceded. "I guess I'm still not sure what you want from me. Are you asking for my blessing or something?"

"What? No," Mark chuckled. "It's just…Lexie makes me happy. And I want to be able to hang out with my friends and my girlfriend without it being weird."

"Well, it's going to be weird," Derek insisted. "The idea of you in a committed relationship…that's weird."

"You know, I thought so too, at first," Mark chuckled, "but I don't know…I had a patient the other day, who told me about his wedding day…and how they asked all of the married couples to come to the dance floor. And then they asked the couples that had only been married a year to sit down. And then five years, and then ten years, and twenty, and so on…until they got to the last two couples…uh, two sets of grandparents. Been together sixty years. Sixty years with the love of their life. That's obviously going to be you two at your granddaughter's wedding. But, I don't know, I kind of like to think that I'll be up there, dancing with the love of my life as well…even if we haven't been married for sixty years like you two. And when I think about who I'd want to be up there dancing with, Lexie's the only dance partner I can imagine. So…"

"You really do like her," Derek grinned. "It's more than just sex, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "It is."

"Well then I can't wait to get to know her better," Derek smiled.

"Really?" Mark asked. "Well, that's convenient…because Lexie and I want to invite you both over to my place for dinner tonight so that you can all get to know each other better. What do you think? It would really mean a lot to us."

Derek and Mark both glanced over at Addison, who had been oddly quiet throughout the whole conversation. "Addison?" Mark prodded. "Thoughts? Reactions? Feelings about dinner tonight?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Addison groaned, clutching her stomach.

"Come on, Addison, I think you're being a little dramatic," Mark said, rolling his eyes.

"No," Addison insisted, shaking her head and covering her mouth with her hand. "I think I'm gonna be sick." She quickly reached down and grabbed the trashcan under Derek's desk, and Derek and Mark watched in concern as she vomited violently into it.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked his wife worriedly, as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Addison nodded. "I brought that on myself," she admitted. "I know better than to eat hospital cafeteria food. But Karev and I had a surgery, and we didn't have much time, and I thought my salad tasted a little strange. Anyway, I'm fine. Really. I actually feel much better."

"Are you sure?" Mark asked in concern.

"Absolutely," Addison nodded. "So, what time should we come over to your place for dinner?"

"Addison, if you're not feeling well, we can push dinner back to another day," Mark offered.

"I'm fine," Addison insisted. "So, what time do you and Lexie want us to come over at?"

"How does seven o'clock sound?" Mark asked.

Addison and Derek looked at each other and nodded. "Seven sounds perfect," Addison smiled.

xxxxx

"So, tell me again, why we're having dinner with Mark and Lexie tonight?" Alex asked, as he and Izzie stepped into the elevator in Mark's apartment building. "I didn't even know that they were a couple."

Izzie chuckled as she pressed the button for Mark's floor. "Lexie's meeting Derek and Addison tonight…well, she already knows them, technically…but it's the first time she's meeting them as Mark's girlfriend. And Addison and Derek and Mark thought it would be less awkward for everyone if we were there to help break some of the tension."

"Oh," Alex nodded, ringing the doorbell to Mark's apartment. "This is still going to be awkward."

"Definitely," Izzie agreed. "We just need to make sure we don't add to the awkwardness."

"Right," Alex laughed, as Mark opened the door to let them into his apartment.

"Hey guys," he smiled widely. "I'm glad you could make it. Come on in. Can I get you a drink?"

"Yes," Alex and Izzie answered immediately.

"Okay," Mark chuckled. "Well, the drinks are in the kitchen," Mark said, leading the way.

"So how are things going?" Izzie whispered discretely.

"Okay, I think," Mark nodded. "Willa adores Lexie, so I think that's helping."

Twenty minutes later, everyone was sitting down for dinner.

"This looks great," Izzie complimented.

Lexie smiled weakly. "I'm not much of a cook," she admitted. "But this lemon chicken recipe seemed easy enough, so it should be okay. And, hey, if it's not, I'm really good at ordering pizza."

"No need," Alex grinned, taking a bite of his chicken. "This is really good."

"Thank you," Lexie beamed.

"Oh my God," Addison breathed, as she swallowed her bite of chicken. "I think I'm gonna be sick." She quickly thrust Willa, who had been sitting in her lap, at Derek, and rushed off to the bathroom.

Alex looked at Derek worriedly. "Is she okay?"

"I-" Derek stammered. Truth be told, he was starting to get a little worried about his wife. "I'm going to go check on her," he said, handing Willa over to Alex, and hurrying off to the bathroom.

"Daddy," Willa said quietly, reaching her tiny hand out after Derek's retreating form.

"It's okay, Willa," Alex said reassuringly. "Daddy will be right back," he promised, gently placing a kiss on the little girl's temple, and cuddling her close.

"I hope Addison's okay," Izzie said.

"You don't…you don't think she thinks I tried to poison her or something?" Lexie asked nervously. "She wouldn't think that, right? I would _never_ do that. I wouldn't even know-"

"Lex, I'm sure she doesn't think that," Mark insisted.

"Maybe her chicken's undercooked," Lexie went on. "Oh, damn it, why did it have to be _her _chicken?"

"I'm sure the chicken's fine," Izzie said reassuringly.

"Alex, taste a piece of Addison's chicken," Lexie instructed. "You know, just to make sure."

"What?" Alex asked.

"You heard me," Lexie insisted. "Try her chicken."

"Lexie, you're being ridiculous," Alex chided.

"Alex, please just taste the chicken," Lexie begged desperately.

"Fine," Alex sighed, reaching over and taking a piece of chicken off Addison's plate and taking a bite of it. "Happy, Lexie?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the chicken." The words had barely left his mouth, when a look of panic spread over his face. "Oh my God," he gagged, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Alex," Lexie breathed, her eyes widening in horror. "I knew I should have just ordered pizza," she muttered, before turning her attention back to Alex, who was still making retching noises. "Alex, what can, what can I do for you?" Lexie asked desperately.

Alex took a shaky breath. "I," he gasped. "I think-I think I'm gonna…be totally fine," he finished with a laugh, a wide smile spreading across his face. "There's nothing wrong with the chicken."

"Alex!" Lexie exclaimed angrily. "You're such a di-"

"Child in our presence," Mark cut in, emphatically gesturing towards Willa.

"Disgusting person," Lexie amended. "You're such a disgusting person. I seriously thought I gave you food poisoning. I can't believe you did that."

"I thought it was pretty funny," Alex chuckled. "What did you think, Willa?" he cooed to the little girl in his lap. "Do you think Uncle Alex is funny?"

Willa looked up at Alex in confusion. "Uncle Alex sick?"

Alex shook his head and smiled. "No, sweetie. Uncle Alex isn't sick. Uncle Alex was just playing with Lexie."

"Mommy sick?" Willa asked, her blue-green eyes widening in concern.

Alex looked around the table hesitantly, before giving Willa a wide smile. "Mommy's okay," he said reassuringly. "She'll be back very soon. Hey, how about you show Uncle Alex how good you are at eating your dinner?" he suggested, gesturing to the tiny pieces of cut up chicken on Willa's plate. "Can you do that for Uncle Alex?"

"You know," Izzie began, raising an eyebrow suggestively, "Aunt Izzie loves it when Uncle Alex refers to himself in the third person."

"Does she?" Alex asked coyly, shooting his fiancée a flirtatious grin.

"Yeah, well, Lexie is less than impressed," Lexie cut in dryly.

"Hey, at least you know it's not the chicken," Alex smirked.

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "It definitely wasn't the chicken. Addison got sick, earlier today, when I told her that we were dating."

"Great," Lexie muttered. "So, just the very mention of me makes her physically ill. Mark, I told you this was a bad idea."

"Lex, Addison getting sick has absolutely nothing to do with you," Mark chuckled. "She said earlier that she thought she might have food poisoning…some type of weird salad that she ate for lunch."

"I don't know," Alex cut in. "I ate lunch with her today, and her salad didn't look particularly weird. Plus, Addison's got a pretty strong stomach."

"Yeah," Izzie agreed. "Back in the day, when she and Derek were going through their problems, I remember watching her throw back martinis and eat her way through a basket of muffins like it was nothing. That combo would have landed most people in the hospital, or at least hugging a toilet. And Addison…she was drunk…but she was at work the next morning, looking as put together as ever." Izzie bit her lip in thought. "You don't think she's pregnant, do you?" She looked around at the stunned looked on her friends' faces and laughed. "I mean, it makes sense," Izzie continued. "Willa's almost three. And I could totally see the Shepherds with another kid. Hey, Alex," she said, turning her attention to her fiancé, "did Addison ever mention anything to you? I mean, you two are close. You pretty much talk about everything."

"We talked about it a while ago," Alex nodded. "But I kind of got the impression that she was happy with things the way they were."

"Well, accidents happen," Mark pointed out with a chuckle.

"Yes they do," Alex agreed. "Although I'd avoid using that word around the Shepherds."

"Hey, I'm not gonna say anything," Mark defended. "None of us are. This is their business. If they want to tell us, they'll tell us."

xxxxx

"Addison," Derek said, as he gently pushed open the door to the bathroom, and kneeled down beside his wife, who was busy emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"Derek, you don't need to be in here," Addison insisted shakily. "I'm more than capable of handling this on my own."

"I know you are," Derek said softly, as he rubbed Addison's back. "It's just, I'm worried about you."

Addison met her husband's eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she admitted. "I was so sure it was that hospital cafeteria salad that got me sick but, clearly, that's not it." Addison looked at Derek and sighed; she could read the unspoken question in his eyes. "I, uh, I guess it couldn't hurt to take another pregnancy test," she mumbled.

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "I definitely don't think it would hurt."

"Honey, it's going to be negative, just like it was last week," Addison warned.

"Maybe," Derek shrugged. "But we won't know unless we take another test."

Addison nodded. "I'll take one when we get home," she conceded. "Anyway, we should probably get back out there."

"Addison, we don't have to," Derek insisted. "Nobody would hold it against us if we went home."

"I know," Addison nodded. "But I'm fine. Really. And poor Lexie is probably driving herself crazy out there, thinking that she poisoned me or something. And as someone who lived through The Hotdog Thanksgiving, I would never in a million years want someone to feel the way I felt that day, so I need to let her know that it wasn't her cooking."

"You know, the situations aren't exactly the same," Derek chuckled.

Addison looked at her husband in confusion.

"Lexie's chicken was fine…good even. Your salmonella turkey..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Derek Shepherd," Addison insisted, smacking her husband on the arm playfully.

"Looks like you're feeling better," Derek observed.

"Yeah," Addison nodded. "I'm okay."

"Good," Derek smiled, as he stood up, and helped Addison to her feet. "Let's get back out there then."

"Okay," Addison agreed, reaching for the doorknob.

"Hey, Addie?"

Addison turned to face her husband, and Derek gave her a warm smile. "Let's not stay here too long, okay?" he said. "I kind of want to get home."

xxxxx

"You know, false negatives are uncommon, but they're not completely unheard of," Addison told Derek, as she tapped her foot anxiously.

She had just taken a pregnancy test, and the two-minute wait was dragging by, so she and Derek were making small talk to distract themselves…or doing the best they could to make small talk.

"Oh, really?" Derek asked, glancing down at his watch. "What causes them?"

"Sometimes if you take a pregnancy test too early, you get a false negative because your hCG levels aren't high enough to be detected by an at-home pregnancy test," Addison explained. "When I have patients who are experiencing pregnancy symptoms, but whose at-home tests came back negative, I usually advise them to wait a week and take another test. Or we'll just run a blood test because it's more sensitive."

"You have pregnancy symptoms," Derek noted. "Why didn't you run your blood?"

Addison sighed. "I just…I needed the week…you know, to process everything."

"You could have said something to me," Derek said softly. "I wish you would have."

"I know," Addison nodded. "I just, I didn't feel ready to take a blood test," she admitted.

Derek looked at his wife in confusion.

"It hit me hard when that pregnancy test was negative, last week," Addison explained. "I'm actually still a little surprised by how upset I was. But, uh, I guess, in a way, that's a good thing…you know, because it shows that I clearly want another baby."

Derek nodded. "I still don't get why you didn't want to run your blood," Derek admitted. "I mean, I would have thought that-"

"I know," Addison cut in. "You would think that after getting upset about that negative pregnancy test, I would have wanted to run my blood and double check it right away."

"I would have thought so," Derek admitted.

"Yeah, I get that," Addison nodded. "It's just…I knew that once I ran my blood, things would be real. I would either be pregnant, or I wouldn't. And I wasn't ready for either result. I wasn't ready for things to be real. I just, I needed the week to sort everything out." She sighed heavily, as she listened to the words that had just come out of her mouth. "I sound ridiculous," she admitted. "I sound like a crazy person."

"A little," Derek smirked. "But I love that about you."

"Right," Addison chuckled, before glancing down at her watch. "So, uh, it's been two minutes. I guess we should look," she said, gesturing to the pregnancy test sitting on the bathroom countertop. "So, um, I'm just gonna look."

"Okay," Derek smiled, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

"Okay," Addison nodded, reaching for the pregnancy test, and looking down at it.

"Hey, Addie," Derek said, as he carefully studied his wife's reaction.

"Yeah?" she asked, not looking up from the test in her hand.

"Has anyone ever told you never to play poker?"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the nice feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far. It means a lot to me to know that you're enjoying it. I hope you like this next chapter and, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"So, you're what, about five weeks along, right now?" Derek asked, as he and Addison lay in bed together. The pregnancy test was positive, and they were ecstatic.

Addison nodded. "We'll get a more accurate sense once we do an ultrasound, but I'd say five weeks sounds about right."

"So, that means, what, an October due date?" Derek asked with smile.

"Yeah," Addison confirmed. "The middle of October. Although Willa was due at the beginning of June, and she came at the end of May, so we should hold off on buying any birthstone jewelry just yet."

"Birthstone jewelry?" Derek asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you do this for a living, Addie, but this one's a boy."

"I don't think so," Addison disagreed.

"Trust me, Addison," Derek insisted. "This one's definitely a boy."

"This pregnancy is already so different from the last one," Addison chuckled. "I mean, this one was planned. And you and I were certain from the beginning that Willa was a girl, and this time…well, I think you're losing your touch," she teased.

Derek looked at his wife adoringly. "Just think," he smiled, "by next Halloween, we're going to have another baby. Next Christmas, we're going to have four stockings hanging over the fireplace. Willa's going to have a little brother."

"Or sister," Addison corrected.

"Or sister," Derek conceded with a chuckle. "So, uh, I know things are different this time…we're together, and the entire hospital no longer despises us. Do you still want to hold off on telling people?"

Addison bit her lip in thought. "I mean, we can tell Mark and Alex and Izzie," Addison said, after a moment. "They're family. And Mark and Lexie seem pretty serious, so she's going to find out, I'm sure. And, of course, we need to tell Richard. But this is our business. We don't need to tell the rest of the hospital."

"Okay," Derek agreed. "So, uh, celebratory sex?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"We just had celebratory sex," Addison chuckled.

"Are you turning me down?" Derek asked, pretending to be hurt.

Addison smiled before leaning in and kissing her husband deeply. "You know I could never turn you down."

xxxxx

"I feel weird being here," Derek admitted. "I mean, I don't know the first thing about wedding dresses."

"Hey, I hear you," Lexie agreed. "I mean, I only just started hanging out with you guys and then, out of nowhere, Izzie invited me to go wedding dress shopping with all of you."

"It's no big deal," Addison chuckled. "You two just need to be supportive, and tell her how nice she looks. I'll play bad cop. Not that I'll need to," she backpedaled. "Izzie has good taste, and she could make a paper bag look like couture."

"So, what do you think?" Izzie asked, as she emerged from the fitting room in an elegant white wedding gown with a sweetheart neckline and a ruffled, tulle bottom.

"You look beautiful," Lexie complimented.

"You do," Derek agreed. "I like the bottom of the dress," he went on, trying to be a good maid of honor. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"And that's a good thing, right?" Izzie asked,

"Uh, yeah, yeah it is," Derek nodded. "I mean, I've always said you could make a paper bag look like couture," he went on, earning himself a look from Addison. "But you look really nice in this," he said earnestly. "I like it a lot."

"Addison," Izzie prodded.

"It's a beautiful dress," Addison smiled. "The train is amazing. And you look gorgeous in it. I'd definitely consider it."

Willa, who was sitting on Addison's lap, looked up at her mother. "Aunt Izzie princess?" she asked.

Addison smiled down at her daughter. "Aunt Izzie does look like a princess, doesn't she?"

"Yes," Willa nodded.

Addison turned to Izzie and chuckled. "I think that dress has Willa's stamp of approval. It really is an amazing dress, and you look perfect in it."

"I really like it," Izzie admitted.

"Me too. But you should definitely try on more dresses," Addison encouraged. "You know, get a feel for different styles."

"Right," Izzie agreed. "Okay, I, uh, I guess I'll go try on some of the other dresses that caught my eye."

She was just about to head back to the fitting room, when a saleslady walked by with a bottle of champagne. "Well," she smiled, "it seems like you're doing very well. Can I offer you some champagne?"

"Absolutely," Izzie grinned, as the saleswoman poured four glasses of champagne, before walking away to help another customer.

"Cheers," Derek toasted, raising his champagne flute in Izzie's direction.

"Aw, you're such a good maid of honor," Izzie gushed, taking a sip of her champagne.

"Oh, no, Willa," Addison chuckled, as her daughter reached out towards her untouched flute of champagne. "That's not for you."

"For you?" Willa asked her mother curiously.

"Uh," Addison hesitated, as she tried to discretely edge her champagne closer to her husband.

"For Daddy?" Willa asked; and Addison groaned inwardly at her daughter's curiosity.

"Yeah," Addison nodded. "Daddy's really thirsty. We'll let him drink it." She discretely glanced over at Izzie and Lexie and, just as she had expected, both of them were watching her and Derek closely.

"Addison…" Izzie trailed off, looking as though she were about to jump out of her skin in excitement.

Addison looked at Derek, and he nodded encouragingly. "Okay," she began hesitantly. "But this day is about you," she told Izzie. "So, after I tell you what I'm about to tell you, it goes back to being about you, okay?"

"Okay," Izzie agreed eagerly, as Derek quickly stood up, and took the glass of champagne that Izzie was clutching tightly out of her hand, and set it down on the table.

"Okay," Addison nodded, meeting her husband's eyes and smiling, before turning her attention back to Izzie and Lexie. "I'm pregnant," she told them.

"Seriously?" Izzie asked in excitement.

"Seriously," Addison nodded.

"Oh my God, this is amazing news!" Izzie exclaimed, rushing in to hug Addison. "I mean, I had a feeling. It's just, I'm so happy for you guys."

"Uh, is everything okay?" one of the salesladies asked, hurrying over to them; it was clear that watching Izzie bustle around in the very expensive wedding dress that she was wearing was making her uncomfortable.

"Everything's fine," Addison reassured the saleswoman. "She just really likes the dress."

"Oh, uh, okay," the saleslady answered hesitantly. "Uh, just let me know if you need anything."

"We will," Derek chuckled, as Izzie moved to hug him as well, while Lexie offered her congratulations to Addison.

"Hey, you know who would make the most incredible godmother ever?" Izzie whispered in Derek's ear, as she hugged him tightly. "It could be your wedding gift to me."

"Um, I," Derek stammered.

"Just something to think about," Izzie laughed, sensing Derek's discomfort. "Talk it over with Addison, of course. But I think it's worth considering."

"Go try on another wedding dress," Derek chuckled.

"Okay, fine," Izzie conceded. "Just think about it, okay?"

Derek shook his head in amusement. "Okay," he agreed.

xxxxx

"How in the world did you manage to get more people to come tux shopping with you than Izzie had go dress shopping with her?" Derek asked Alex in amusement.

Alex shrugged. "Addison's my best man, so she had no choice. And Izzie thought it would be a good idea for you and Mark to come along as well…you know, since we're all going to be wearing the same style tux, we want to make sure that everyone looks good in it."

"Have you seen Derek and me?" Mark asked Alex cockily. "We look good in anything."

"And Lexie," Alex continued, ignoring Mark's comment, "when I invited her to come along, she initially said no. But then Mark offered to take her out to dinner afterwards, so she agreed. So, what do you think?" Alex asked, gesturing to the tux he was wearing.

"I like it," Addison complimented.

"Yeah, you look good in it," Derek agreed.

"Perfect," Alex smiled. "I'll take it then."

"Alex," Addison scolded. "You can't just buy the first tux you try on."

"Why not?" Alex asked. "You all like it. And I like it too."

"You need to try on other styles," Addison chuckled. "Izzie tried on at least twenty dresses."

"I'm not trying on twenty tuxedos," Alex insisted flatly.

"Fine," Addison conceded, "but you're also not just going to try on one."

"You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked you to be my best man," Alex smirked.

"I know, but it's a nice little bonus, isn't it?" Addison laughed. "Try on a few more suits, and I'll take you out for a drink afterward," she bargained.

"Okay," Alex agreed. "But we could just go for food or something, since you can't drink and all."

"Whatever you'd prefer," Addison shrugged. "But thanks," she smiled, her voice softening.

Alex nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go try on another tux. I'll be right back," he said before disappearing into the fitting room.

Lexie looked at Mark, who had Willa on his lap, and smiled. "You know, I love watching you with Willa," she told her boyfriend. "I can't wait to see you with another perfect little Shepherd."

Mark looked down at his niece and smiled. "Willa's perfect," he said. "This new kid will be a close second."

"Mark," Derek scolded. "You can't play favorites with our children."

"No, _you_ can't play favorites," Mark corrected. "I can do whatever I want. And you know I'm going to love any child of yours no matter what. It's just, Willa's my little buddy. She's always going to be special to me."

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual," Addison smiled. "Willa adores her Uncle Mark."

"And I'm sure the new baby will too," Derek added quickly.

"Of course," Mark nodded with a smirk. "It's hard not to adore me."

xxxxx

"So, I have something for you," Derek told his wife with a smile. They had just finished putting Willa to bed, and were heading towards their bedroom.

"Really?" Addison asked in surprise. "Why?"

Derek shrugged. "It's just something I picked up…well, ordered off line," he amended, handing Addison an orange gift bag with black and white tissue paper sticking out of it.

"How very Halloween," Addison smirked.

"It's kind of the point," Derek chuckled, as Addison opened the gift and pulled out a newborn-sized orange romper with a jack-o'-lantern face on the front, little orange jack-o'-lantern booties, and a tiny, orange jack-o'-lantern baby hat. "For our Halloween baby," Derek explained.

"Derek, this is adorable," Addison smiled, fighting the tears that welling up in her eyes. "It's perfect."

"You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a Halloween costume in the middle of March," Derek laughed. "But you're eight weeks along, and we haven't bought any baby stuff yet, and I thought this was cute."

"And unisex," Addison chuckled.

"You don't know how tempted I was to buy the football player costume," Derek admitted. "But I liked this pumpkin costume more," he smiled. "It's perfect for our little pumpkin, don't you think?"

"You're calling the baby Pumpkin?" Addison asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. What do you think? I think the nickname works."

"It's kind of feminine," Addison pointed out. "Especially considering that you think we're having a boy."

"It's unisex," Derek disagreed. "And I like it."

"I like it too," Addison admitted. "Thanks for doing this, Derek," she smiled, leaning in and kissing him softly.

"You really like the costume?" Derek asked when they broke apart.

"It's perfect," Addison nodded.

"I can't wait to see our little pumpkin in it," Derek smiled.

"Yeah," Addison agreed, as she gently ran her fingers through her husband's hair. "Me either."

xxxxx

"Hey," Alex greeted his boss the next morning. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm okay," Addison nodded.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked skeptically. "I mean if you need to go puke or something, I can hold down the fort here.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm okay," Addison chuckled. "Actually, I didn't even get sick this morning," she said, accepting the chart that Alex was handing to her, and looking it over. "I'm hoping that I might be done with morning sickness for good."

"It's kind of soon to be done with morning sickness, isn't it?" Alex asked.

Addison shrugged. "Every pregnancy's different. And, hey, a girl can hope, right? Anyway," she continued, handing the chart in her hand back to Alex, "everything here looks good. Why don't you get the mother prepped for surgery, and I'll be in to go over the procedure with her in about twenty minutes."

"Okay," Alex nodded, before making his way towards their patient's room.

Addison watched Alex's retreating form for a moment before making her way towards the coffee cart for a cup of tea. She didn't have morning sickness, but she was feeling some slight abdominal cramping, and figured that some tea would probably help.

By the time she had paid for her tea, the cramping had worsened. She figured that it was probably nothing – cramping early on in pregnancy wasn't an uncommon thing – but a nagging thought sent her into the bathroom anyway. She quickly made her way into the bathroom stall, pulled down her stockings, and gasped at what she saw – her panties were stained with redish-brown clotted blood.

Feeling like she couldn't breathe, she quickly called her husband, and waited for him to pick up. "Derek," she choked out tearfully, when he finally answered, "I need you."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your nice feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far! I love hearing what you think. I'm sorry it took me a while to update; I know I always get anxious when I have to wait for a cliffhanger to be resolved (season finales kill me), so I apologize for the delay. I hope you enjoy this chapter and, as always, thank you for reading!

* * *

She miscarried. And it was everything and nothing like what her patients had described to her over the years. The physical pain was bad, but it was nothing compared to the emotional pain. She knew that Halloween would come, and there wouldn't be a tiny baby dressed up in the adorable pumpkin costume that Derek had bought. And she knew that there wouldn't be four stockings hanging over the fireplace at Christmas. But, worst of all, she knew that she would never get to meet the child, who she had already grown so attached to and already loved so much. And it broke her heart.

The guilt she felt was awful. She had always reassured her patients that miscarriages weren't their fault – that they, unfortunately, occurred pretty frequently, and usually signaled a bad spin of the genetic wheel – but this reasoning didn't comfort her. It didn't seem true in her case. Her own doctor's assurances that she did nothing wrong – that, unfortunately, these things just happen – did little to make her feel better. And it didn't matter how many times Derek held her close and told her that this wasn't her fault. It still felt like her fault.

She and Derek took a couple of days off from work. They needed time to heal, time to try to come to terms with what had happened. They tried to keep themselves composed in front of Willa and, for the most part, they succeeded. But, one afternoon, a few days after the miscarriage, Derek and Willa walked into Addison and Derek's bedroom to find Addison sitting on the bed, crying.

"Mommy," Willa cried out in concern, her own blue-green eyes welling up with tears.

"Mommy's okay," Derek assured his daughter, as he helped her onto the bed before sitting down next to Addison, and rubbing her back gently. "We can leave if you want to be alone," he whispered in her ear.

"Mommy sad?" Willa asked, climbing into her mother's lap.

"Mommy's a little sad," Addison admitted, pressing a gentle kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"Nails?" Willa asked, looking up at her mother. And Addison couldn't help cracking a smile, as she followed her daughter's line of reason. A couple of weeks ago, Willa had taken a pretty hard tumble at the playground, and was very shaken up; so Addison took her for a manicure, hoping that pretty nails would make her daughter feel better and distract her from the cuts and scrapes on her knees and arms. It had worked like a charm, except now Willa had come to associate manicures with feeling better.

"You know, she might be onto something," Derek admitted. "You haven't left the house for days. It might be nice to have someone pamper you."

"I don't know," Addison said hesitantly.

"You could go alone," Derek offered. "I'll watch Willa."

"No, that's okay," Addison said. "I haven't spent much time with her these past few days. She likes getting her nails done and, you're right, it might be nice to get out of the house."

"Okay," Derek nodded. "Come on, Willa, let's get your jacket," he said, lifting his daughter off the bed.

"Nails with Mommy?" Willa asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "You're going to get your nails done with Mommy. Let's get your coat," he said, as he carried his daughter downstairs and opened the closet to retrieve Willa's tiny Burberry jacket. "Willa, I need you to promise me that you're going to be an extra good listener for Mommy today, okay?" Derek said, as he helped Willa put her coat on. "Can you promise Daddy that?"

Willa met her father's eyes and nodded earnestly.

"Thank you, sweetie," he smiled, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "Now go have some fun with Mommy."

Twenty minutes later, Addison was sitting in a plush pedicure chair, with Willa on her lap. She had to admit, it felt good to get out of the house and pretend to have some semblance of a normal life. But that feeling was short lived. She watched as two teenage girls came into the nail salon and selected their polish colors, before sitting down in the pedicure chairs next to hers.

"Oh my goodness, your daughter is so cute," one of the girls gushed, gesturing towards Willa.

"Thank you," Addison said, doing her best to muster a smile.

"What's your name," the other girl cooed at Willa.

Willa looked up at her mother hesitantly. "It's okay," Addison reassured her daughter. "You can tell them your name."

"Willa," the little girl answered quietly.

"That's a pretty name," the first girl complimented. "My name's Samantha. This is my sister Brittany."

Willa nodded.

"So what color are you getting your nails done, Willa?" Samantha asked.

"Pink," Willa answered, motioning to the bottle of pale pink nail polish next to her.

"Very pretty," Brittany smiled. And Willa grinned back, happy with the attention the older girls were giving to her.

"She really is like the cutest thing ever," Samantha said, turning her attention to Brittany. "I wish the kids we babysat for could be that adorable."

"I know," Brittany agreed.

And as Samantha and Brittany continued to talk about the kids they babysat for, their parents and their unfair rules, and Samantha's new boyfriend, Addison felt a dull pain in her chest. She knew that Derek had been hoping for a boy, but she had secretly wanted another girl. She wanted Willa to have what Samantha and Brittany had – someone to gossip with, someone to share clothes with…a best friend for life.

She looked down at her daughter, who was reading People Magazine upside-down. Samantha and Brittany were flipping through gossip magazines as they talked, and Willa didn't want to feel left out. Normally this type of thing would bring a smile to Addison's face but, today, it just hurt. As she watched her daughter copy Samantha and Brittany's every move, she couldn't help imagining Willa with a little sister who idolized everything that she did.

"I'm so sorry, Willa," Addison whispered to her daughter, almost inaudibly, as she thought about the sibling that her daughter had been denied. "I'm so, so sorry."

xxxxx

"Hey, Derek, what are you doing here?" Mark asked, as he stepped into Derek's office. "I figured you'd be at home with Addison."

"Addison and Willa went to get their nails done," Derek explained. "So I figured I'd stop by the hospital and make sure there were no major crises in my department."

"How's Addison doing," Mark asked, growing serious.

Derek sighed. "As good as can be expected, I guess."

Mark nodded sadly. "How are you holding up?"

Derek shrugged. "As good as can be expected, I guess."

"Derek, if you want to talk-"

"I don't."

"Okay," Mark said gently. "But if you do…"

"I know," Derek nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," Mark said, offering Derek a smile, and turning to make his way out of Derek's office.

"She thinks it's her fault," Derek blurted.

Mark turned to face his friend.

"She thinks it's her fault," Derek repeated. "And I keep telling her that it's not, but I know she doesn't believe me. I can tell."

"And it's not exactly like you can tell her anything she doesn't already know," Mark pointed out. "I mean, nobody knows more about these kinds of things than she does. I guess the most you can really do is just to be there for her."

"You're right," Derek agreed. "It's just hard, you know…because I'm her husband and, over the years, I've gotten pretty good at making her feel better when she's upset, and I just, I know there's nothing I can say or do to make her feel better because there's nothing that anyone can say or do to make me feel better."

"I'm really sorry, Derek," Mark apologized, patting Derek's shoulder reassuringly. "I know how much this baby meant to you and Addison."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, blinking back the tears that were stinging his eyes.

"Derek, if there's anything I can do-"

"Thanks," Derek nodded.

"Hey, Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Addison will get through this. You know that, right?"

"I know," Derek nodded. "It's just…it's going to take some time."

xxxxx

"Welcome back, Dr. Shepherd," Izzie greeted Derek, as she joined him by the nurses' station.

But Derek didn't even notice Izzie. He was focused intently on the cell phone that he was holding in his hand.

"Uh, are you willing your phone to ring or something?" Izzie asked in confusion.

"Huh?" Derek asked, looking up at Izzie in surprise.

"Derek, are you okay?" Izzie asked sympathetically.

"I'm okay," Derek nodded. "I'm just, I'm worried about Addison. It's our first day back at work. And, for me, that's a good thing. I've always been good at using work as a distraction or escape. But Addison can't exactly do that. She works with babies. So I'm worried about her."

Izzie patted Derek's shoulder understandingly. "You know, I'm not just saying this because he's my fiancé or because I love him to death, but if I had to choose one person who wasn't you to be with Addison today, I'd chose Alex. Addison's going to be okay today."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Okay."

"How are you holding up?" Izzie asked gently.

"I'm okay."

"Derek, it's okay if you not okay."

"I know," Derek sighed. "I just, I want to be okay, and I want Addison to be okay. But I feel so helpless."

"This isn't exactly the type of thing that has an easy fix," Izzie pointed out.

"I know," Derek agreed. "But you don't know how badly I wish it did."

xxxxx

"Hey," Alex greeted his boss, doing his best to discretely block her entrance to the NICU.

"Seriously, Alex?"

"Seriously what?" Alex shrugged.

"Are you really going to try to keep me out of the NICU?"

"Oh, I, uh, no, no, of course not," Alex stammered. "You can do whatever you want to do…or don't want to do. You call the shots today. And, I'll tell you what, I won't even argue with you."

"Okay," Addison agreed, backing away from the NICU.

"Hey, uh, if you want to talk…" Alex trailed off.

"I do," Addison nodded.

"Oh, uh, okay," Alex said in surprise; talking had never really been his or Addison's thing, so he hadn't exactly expected her to take him up on his offer. "I'm here for you," he recovered, "so, uh, you know that you can say…whatever."

"Good," Addison nodded. "Let's not talk about it."

"Wait, what?" Alex asked in confusion. "You just said you wanted to talk."

"I do," Addison nodded. "Just not about…that. Let's talk about something else…_anything_ else."

"Okay," Alex agreed. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something or if he should wait for her to say something. But when she didn't say anything, he decided to make things easier on her. "So, um, Izzie's pissed at me, and I could really use your advice," he admitted.

"Really?" Addison asked, grateful to have the chance to preoccupy herself with someone else's problems. "What'd you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?" Alex chuckled.

Addison gave him a pointed look. "Because I know you."

Alex sighed. "She's being ridiculous. She can't decide whether we should serve salmon en papillote or salmon carpaccio at the wedding, and she wants me to choose."

"So, did you choose?" Addison asked.

"Of course I didn't choose," Alex shot back. "I can barely pronounce the names of the dishes, let alone pretend to care which one we serve. To me, salmon is salmon. I don't even like it that much."

"I hope you didn't tell her that," Addison said.

"Of course I told her that," Alex smirked.

"And she didn't take it well," Addison assessed.

"No." Alex sighed. "She didn't."

"You need to make an effort," Addison advised.

"What?" Alex asked in confusion. "Why? I mean, I honestly don't care what we serve. _She_ does. She should choose."

"She wants your input," Addison explained. "She wants to feel like it means something to you. You need to try to care."

"I don't know," Alex admitted. "I mean, I'm just going to choose wrong anyway."

"She'll correct you," Addison assured him. "But you need to trust me on this."

"I don't know," Alex said, shaking his head. "It just seems-"

"You know, Derek hates home decorating and interior design," Addison cut in.

"Is that supposed to be surprising?" Alex asked with a chuckle.

"Just listen," Addison instructed. "When we decorated our brownstone and our house in the Hamptons, he pretty much let me decorate them however I wanted. And I would ask him for his opinion on paint colors or coffee tables or couches, but he'd always just tell me to get whatever I wanted. I guess he thought he was being nice by letting me choose, because I cared about those types of things and he didn't. But I would have loved it if he would have tried to help me a little."

"Really?" Alex asked doubtfully. "It sounds like one of those be careful what you wish for situations to me."

Addison shook her head. "It's not. It wasn't. Because when I invited Derek to help me choose things for Willa's nursery, he still had no idea what he was doing, but he put in an effort, and I appreciated that. I remember giving him a purple paint swatch and a pink paint swatch, and asking him which one he liked more, and he looked so adorable when he was trying to decide."

"Did he choose the right one?" Alex asked.

"He didn't,' Addison admitted. "But I didn't care, because I could tell that what we were doing mattered to him, and I couldn't ask for more than that. That's what Izzie's asking for. And it doesn't matter if you choose the wrong salmon dish or the wrong flowers or the wrong type of cake. Just let her know that all these small wedding details mean something to you. And every once and again, you're bound to get something right."

"I don't know," Alex said. "I'm pretty bad at wedding stuff."

"Trust me," Addison reassured him. "Did you know that Derek was actually the one to pick out the bedding for Willa's crib?"

"Really?" Alex asked in surprise.

Addison nodded.

"Maybe there's hope for me after all," Alex said thoughtfully.

"You'll be okay," Addison said. "I promise. And, uh, if I were you, I'd probably go with the salmon carpaccio. It's a little fancier."

"Thanks, Addison," Alex laughed, giving his friend a warm smile. "Hey, Addison?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a really good best man."

"Thanks," Addison smiled. "Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a really good best friend."

xxxxx

The day had drawn to a close. Derek was relieved to be back at work – to get his mind off everything that had happened. But he also realized that Addison's specialty didn't provide her with the same kind of escape that his did. If anything, it probably made things worse. So, he wanted to do something for her.

He had some downtime after his surgery, so he left the hospital to pick up a little something for his wife. And even though the gift was small, he hoped it would be meaningful.

They left work for the day, and after feeding, bathing, and putting their daughter to sleep, Addison and Derek made their way into their own bedroom. And Addison felt her eyes well up with tears at the sight in front of her – there was bouquet of forget-me-nots on her pillow.

"Derek," she choked out, "I, I can't believe you remembered."

Derek leaned in and kissed her temple gently. "Of course I remembered," he said softly. "How could I not?"

"_Hey," Derek greeted his wife, as she walked out of her patient's room. "Juju?"_

"_Thank you," Addison said gratefully, taking a sip of the steaming hot chocolate, and handing the cup back to Derek._

"_How're things going in there?" he asked, as he sipped at the hot chocolate in his hand. He knew Addison's patient had miscarried earlier that morning. And he knew it didn't matter how many patient miscarriages Addison had witnessed over the years – it was always sad. _

_Addison shrugged. "Okay, I guess."_

"_I'm sorry," Derek said, quietly, pulling his wife into a hug._

"_Yeah, me too," Addison nodded. She looked up and met Derek's eyes. "The husband…he was really sweet. He, uh, he bought his wife a bouquet of forget-me-nots…you know, the delicate, blue flowers. And I, I, just thought it was a nice gesture. I mean, I've heard of people buying miscarriage jewelry, and I know that some couples plant a tree to commemorate their child. But, I don't know, forget-me-nots…they just seem like a beautiful, symbolic gesture. I think if I were ever in that situation…not that I could ever even begin to imagine being in that situation…I think that's what I'd want."_

"_Forget-me-nots?" Derek murmured into her hair. _

"_Yeah," Addison nodded. "Forget-me-nots."_

Addison did her best to blink back the tears that were stinging her eyes, as she walked over to the bed and picked up the bouquet of flowers that Derek had bought for her. Ever since that day, she had come to associate forget-me-nots with miscarriages; and she couldn't believe that, even after all these years, Derek had remembered. He was the only person she had ever told about the forget-me-nots; he was the only person she could ever imagine telling. And the fact that he had remembered reminded her just how much history they had with each other, just how well they knew each other, just how important they were to each other.

"Addie," Derek prodded gently, as he sat down on the bed next to his wife.

Addison turned her attention away from the bouquet of flowers, and met her husband's eyes. "I only mentioned forget-me-nots that one time," she said quietly.

"I know," Derek nodded, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her close. "Some things you don't forget."

"Yeah," Addison agreed sadly, as Derek continued to hold her. "Some things you just can't forget."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind feedback on this story; I really appreciate it! I hope you like the next chapter and, as always, thanks for reading!

* * *

Nearly two months had passed, and life for Addison and Derek was starting to get back to normal. They still had bad days, but the bad days were fewer and farther between. And today was not going to be one of them. Today was Willa's third birthday, and they had invited their family and friends over to celebrate.

"You're doing a really good job with her," Carolyn complimented her son, as she and Derek watched Willa have a tea party with Amelia and Archer.

"Thank you," Derek smiled, turning his attention away from his daughter, and meeting his mother's eyes. "You know, all of those parenting books say that life is so much easier once your child turns three because she's out of the terrible twos, but Willa never really went through that. She's always been very easy-going…which is incredibly lucky because Addison and I are both ridiculously stubborn."

"She's such a sweet little girl," Carolyn said softly, as she watched her granddaughter give Amelia and Archer each a large floppy hat to wear. "I saw her playing with the rest of the grandchildren earlier," Carolyn went on. "She fits right in with them."

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "We're enrolling her in nursery school in September. I mean, the hospital daycare is fine, but we want her to start making some more friends because I'd bet you anything, if you asked her who her best friend is, she'd tell you it's Mark."

"Well, they're pretty adorable together," Carolyn chuckled. "She was feeding him pretzels before. Oh, and speaking of Mark," Carolyn continued, lowering her voice a little, and gesturing to where Mark and Lexie were standing, "is he dating that young woman over there?"

"Oh, uh," Derek stammered, trying to buy himself some time.

"Derek," Carolyn pressed, "I'm going to find out, so you might as well just tell me."

"I, um," Derek stuttered, meeting Mark's eyes, and discretely gesturing for him to come over to them. "This is really the type of thing he should tell you about."

"Hey, what's going on?" Mark grinned, shooting Derek a questioning look, as he joined Derek and Carolyn.

Derek gave his best friend a smile. "Tell Lexie that she can get in on my next surgery…it's my way of making things up to her. And you…good luck," he said, patting Mark on the shoulder, and leaving him alone with Carolyn.

"What was that all about?" Mark asked Carolyn in confusion.

"Mark," Carolyn trailed off.

"Am I in trouble?" Mark asked hesitantly.

"Were you ever going to tell me about her?" Carolyn asked.

Mark looked at Carolyn suspiciously. "About who?"

"I think Derek just called her Lexie," Carolyn offered. "I don't know why you felt that you needed to keep something like this from me."

"I, uh," Mark stammered uncomfortably.

"I mean, I get that she's young," Carolyn continued. "But, to tell the truth, I always saw you with someone a little younger. So are you going to introduce me?"

"What? No!" Mark exclaimed.

"Well, why not?" Carolyn asked. "Are you two not serious?"

"No, no, we're very serious," Mark insisted.

"Then why the hesitation? I'm sure I'm going to love her."

"Okay," Mark nodded. "There's, uh, there's one thing you should know about her before you meet her."

"Okay," Carolyn trailed off hesitantly.

"She's Meredith Grey's younger sister."

"Meredith Grey as in Derek's ex-girlfriend Meredith Grey?" Carolyn asked in surprise.

"They're only half-sisters, if that makes things any better," Mark offered. "And Derek's fine with it. And Addison's fine with it. And Lexie's amazing, and I really do love her. I mean, she's smart and she's funny and she's challenging and she's great with Willa. So, uh, you'll give her a chance, right?"

"I can't give her a chance unless I get to meet her," Carolyn teased.

"Okay," Mark smiled. "You stay there. I'll go get her."

He found Lexie sitting on the couch in the living room, talking with Alex and Izzie.

"Hey, Lexie," he smiled. "I've got some good news, and some less good news. The good news is that Derek wants you to scrub in on his next surgery."

A wide smile graced Lexie's features, but it quickly dissipated. "What's the less good news?" she asked warily.

"Mrs. Shepherd wants to meet you."

"Oh, that's fine," Lexie smiled. "Let's go. Introduce me."

"Did I mention that Derek's mother practically raised me?" Mark asked.

Lexie shook her head. "No. No you didn't."

"Well, she did," Mark grinned. "I'm kind of like a son to her. And, uh, she knows about us, and she wants to meet you…as my girlfriend."

"Are you serious?" Lexie asked.

Mark nodded.

"Mark Sloan," Lexie scolded. "Today was supposed to be a relaxed, low-key day. Now I find out that I'm meeting the parents."

"Just Derek's mother," Mark corrected. And Lexie rewarded the comment with an eye roll.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Alex cut in, "Mama Shep can't hate you any more than she used to hate Addison."

"And if that's the case…not that it will be the case," Izzie added, "you and Addison can bond over it. She might be able to offer you some pointers."

"I don't know," Lexie said hesitantly.

"It doesn't look like you have much of a choice," Alex pointed out smugly.

Lexie sighed, and met Mark's eyes. "I guess it won't kill me."

"That's the spirit," Mark grinned, taking Lexie by the hand. "Let's go."

xxxxx

"So, Mark's introducing Lexie to Mom," Derek whispered to Amelia, as he joined her, Archer, and Willa around Willa's play table for a tea party.

"Oh, yeah?" Amelia chuckled, doing her best to discretely watch the interaction between Mark, Lexie, and Carolyn. "It looks like it's going okay."

Derek followed his sister's gaze and nodded. "How's the tea party going?" he asked cheerfully.

"It's good," Archer grinned. "Although you missed Bizzy's etiquette lesson."

"Bizzy joined your tea party?" Derek asked in disbelief.

"Don't be crazy," Archer smirked. "She came over here and tried to teach Willa which side of the plate the fork goes on, and where the spoon is supposed to go, and to cross her legs at the ankles," Archer went on, rolling his eyes. "It was like an eerie flashback to one of Addison's childhood tea parties."

"I think it's her way of trying," Derek offered, doing his best to defend his mother-in-law.

"I guess," Archer shrugged. "Which reminds me…Amelia, can you take a picture of me and Willa?"

"Sure," Amelia agreed, as Archer handed her his phone, and pulled Willa onto his lap.

"Now, Willa," he cooed at his niece, "I need you to look extra cute in this picture, okay?"

"Okay," Willa nodded.

"Who's this picture going to?" Derek asked suspiciously.

Archer turned to his brother-in-law, and gave Derek a mischievous smile. "A woman I'm trying to sleep with," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Seriously?" Amelia asked in shock.

Archer nodded. "She has a son, so I want to show her that I like kids…that I'm good with kids. And, well, Willa's the only kid I know, so this is kind of perfect."

"So, you want to get to know her son?" Amelia asked.

"Oh, don't be so naïve," Archer scoffed. "I could care less about the son. I'm just interested in sleeping with his mother. But I need to come off as this caring guy, who like's kids-"

"Even though you don't," Amelia cut in.

"I like Willa," Archer defended. "I'm just…I'm not interested in getting to know this woman's son. I'm looking for a good time, not family and commitment. So are you going to take the picture or what?"

Amelia sighed, as she and Derek exchanged a look of amused disgust. "Fine," she agreed, as she took the picture, and handed Archer his phone back. "What do you think?"

Archer looked at the picture and smiled. "Oh, this will definitely get me laid," he grinned.

"I feel dirty," Amelia mumbled, massaging her temples with her fingers. "I feel beyond dirty, right now."

"Bubble bath?" Willa offered innocently.

"Oh, no, that's okay, Sweetie," Amelia laughed. "Thanks for offering though."

"Welcome," Willa smiled.

Amelia gave Archer a pointed look. "It's gonna take a lot more than a bubble bath to make me feel less dirty," she muttered. "And you…how do you live with yourself?"

Archer was about to respond, when a very happy looking Mark and Lexie joined them around Willa's play table.

"I take it things went well," Derek smiled.

"They did," Mark confirmed. "Things went incredibly. Your mother loved Lexie."

"I think we owe you and Addison, though," Lexie cut in. "You two fought the hard battles. And, I mean, the fact that you and Addison are okay with me and Mark made things a lot easier with your mother."

"Speaking of which," Mark continued, "I knew that your mother and Addison had patched things up, but I hadn't realized how nicely they'd patched everything up. Your mother was singing Addison's praises."

Derek smiled in relief. Mark was right; Addison and his mother had worked through their differences, and Carolyn had grown to accept – and even like – Addison. But a part of him still worried whenever his mother and Addison were together.

"Well, that's good," Derek nodded. "Hey, have any of you seen Addison, by the way? I feel like I haven't seen her since the party started."

Mark, Lexie, Archer, and Amelia looked thoughtful. "I haven't seen her," Mark admitted.

"Yeah, me either," Amelia agreed. "And she's not exactly the type who would just leave her own daughter's birthday party."

"This whole big family gathering is probably getting to her," Archer said. "We used to hate things like this when we were kids. I bet I know where she is," he said, excusing himself from the play table.

He made his way up the stairs, and knocked on the door to Addison and Derek's bathroom. "Addison," he said gently. "I'm coming in."

When he didn't get a response, he pushed the door open, and swallowed hard when he saw his sister sitting on the bathroom floor, doing her best to fight the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"I thought I might find you here," he said, sitting down on the floor next to her. "Are you okay?"

Addison looked at her brother and sighed. "I, uh, can you just get Derek?" she asked.

"In a minute," Archer agreed. "Hey, do you remember when we were kids, and Bizzy and The Captain would make us make an appearance at all of their boring parties, and we'd hide out in the bathroom to avoid having to make conversation with their snooty, boring friends?"

"Yeah," Addison nodded, a slight smile coming to her face.

"You're not doing that now, are you?" Archer asked. "Because you're throwing this party, and you should be down there with everyone enjoying it."

"I know," Addison agreed quietly. "It's just…can you get Derek for me?"

"Okay," Archer nodded, standing up. "Hey, Addie, if you want to talk-"

"I know," Addison cut in. "Thank you, Archer. And thank you for coming and finding me."

Archer gave her a wide smile. "Hey, just because we're grownups doesn't mean that we suddenly stop looking out for each other. You're my sister. You're the only other person I know who gets just how messed up Bizzy and The Captain are. And it doesn't matter that we're adults, or that you have a husband and a child, I'm still here for you."

"Thanks," Addison smiled. "Hey, Archer?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still here for you too."

xxxxx

"Hey," Derek said softly, as he opened the door the bathroom, and sat down next to Addison on the floor. "What's wrong?"

Addison looked up and met her husband's eyes, doing her best to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I got my period," she muttered.

"Oh, uh," Derek stammered, unsure how to respond to Addison's confession. He and Addison were still getting over her miscarriage, and weren't ready to start trying again. They hadn't been trying, so her admission seemed a little strange to him.

"It's just, this is the first period I've gotten since the miscarriage," Addison explained, sensing her husband's confusion. "I knew that when I miscarried that I had lost the baby…I got that. It's just, this feels like another slap in the face."

Derek nodded in understanding, as he wrapped his arms around his wife, doing his best to be comforting. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I'm really sorry."

Addison nodded in agreement, and Derek felt a dull pain in his chest, as he watched his wife lose the battle she'd been fighting against her tears. He knew there was nothing that he could do or say to make this any easier for her, so he settled for holding her closer.

"You must think I'm a crazy person," Addison said after a couple of minutes.

"I don't," Derek disagreed.

"You should," Addison advised with forced lightheartedness, before growing serious again. "It's just, when I was thinking about what today was going to be like, this isn't what I had in mind."

Derek nodded sadly, as he followed his wife's line of reasoning.

Addison swallowed hard. "When I first started planning Willa's birthday party, I, uh, I thought that it would be the perfect time for us to tell our families about the baby…about Pumpkin. I mean, we wouldn't really have had much of a choice. I'd be a little over four months pregnant, and pissed because none of my clothes fit right. And you…you'd be as charming as ever, and say all these perfect things to make me feel better. And we'd be just a couple of weeks away from the ultrasound where we'd find out if Pumpkin was a girl or a boy. And we'd probably still disagree on the sex, because I know that you wanted a little boy, but I really wanted another girl. And your sisters would have all taken my side, because they like me better than you. And Archer would have taken your side, because he's just dying to have a nephew that he can corrupt. And your mother and my parents might have even be supportive this time around…not that we ever really needed their approval anyway. But that's what I was thinking about when I pictured today. Not once did my plans include me getting my period, and you and me sitting on a bathroom floor together. No, that definitely wasn't in the plans."

Derek rubbed his wife's back reassuringly and he sighed sadly, as he thought about how very different the day could have been. "I didn't know you wanted a girl," he said after a moment. "I mean, I knew you thought Pumpkin was going to be a girl…I just, I didn't realize that you had been hoping for another girl."

Addison nodded. "I'd love for Willa to have a sister. Someone to share clothes with, someone who looks up to her and wants to be just like her, a maid of honor at her wedding one day…a best friend go grow up with. I really want that for her."

Derek smiled at his wife's words. "I wanted a boy," he admitted. "Someone to go fishing and camping with. I mean, I guess I can go with Willa," he backpedaled, "but she's kind of like you, and doesn't like to get too dirty. And I think that Willa would be great with a little brother. They could have the same type of relationship that you and Archer have…except our son would be nothing like Archer."

"Archer's not so bad," Addison chuckled.

"Would you want a son like him?" Derek countered.

"Well, not exactly like him," Addison admitted. "But if we do have a son, I'd want him and Willa to have the kind of relationship that Archer and I have."

"Me too," Derek smiled. "And I've pretty much been surrounded by women my entire life…not that I'm complaining or anything…but it might be nice to be able to do some of the things that my father and I used to do together with my own son."

"Hey, Derek," Addison said softly.

"Yeah?"

Addison smiled. "I'd be really, really happy if we had a son."

"Really?" Derek asked.

Addison nodded, and Derek smiled.

"Hey, Addie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd be thrilled if we had another daughter. I'd be so happy."

Addison smiled at her husband's words, doing her best to fight back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "Willa would be amazing with a little brother or a little sister," she admitted. "And I don't think she'd care either way. She'd be great with either."

"Yeah," Derek agreed. "I mean, I'm ridiculously biased, but she's an incredible kid, Addison."

"She is," Addison agreed, smiling as she thought about her three-year-old daughter, who had changed her life forever. "We did a good job with her."

"And we'll do a good job with this next one too," Derek smiled, "whenever he or she decides to enter our lives." Derek looked at his wife closely and chuckled. "You still want another daughter, don't you?"

"I do," Addison admitted. "But I'd be just as happy with a son."

Derek smiled. "It's not like we have much choice in the matter, but I'd be happy either way too. I just know I want another baby with you. And as long as it's healthy…well, that's all that matters to me."

Addison smiled at her husband's words before leaning in and kissing him softly.

"So, uh, do you want to start trying again?" Derek asked when they broke apart.

Addison shook her head. "Not yet," she said. "Eventually. Just…not yet."

Derek nodded in understanding. "Okay," he said softly, as he rubbed his wife's back reassuringly.

"Hey, uh, do you want head downstairs?" Addison asked after a moment. "I mean it's not every day that your daughter turns three. We should be down there celebrating with her."

"We should," Derek agreed, as he got up off the bathroom floor, and extended his hand to Addison to help her up as well. "You ready?" he asked.

Addison nodded. "Let's go," she smiled, taking her husband's hand in hers, as the two of them made their way downstairs to celebrate with the little girl who, in just three short years, had helped make their lives better than they could have ever imagined.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your nice feedback on the last chapter, and on the story so far. I hope you like this next chapter – it's a long one! And, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

Lexie sighed as she looked around the hospital cafeteria helplessly. She usually ate lunch with Mark, but he had been called into an emergency surgery. She saw some of the other residents eating lunch together at a nearby table, but didn't really feel like eating with them. She still considered them her friends but, lately, she had become a lot closer with Mark and his friends, and she thought it might be a little awkward if she went over sat with the other residents after all this time of not eating with them. So, she decided to head over to the hospital daycare center and check on Willa; she and Mark usually spent a portion of their lunchtime with the little girl, anyway.

She walked into the daycare and was immediately greeted by one of the daycare workers, Margaret. "I'm so glad you're here," Margaret told Lexie, as she tried to soothe Willa, who was in her arms, crying hysterically.

"Hey, Willa," Lexie said softly, as she rubbed the little girl's back, and tried to help Margaret calm Willa down. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

Willa turned at the sound of Lexie's voice, and immediately reached her tiny arms out towards Lexie, as she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"Shhh, it's okay, I've got you," Lexie whispered to Willa, as she accepted the screaming toddler from Margaret. "It's okay," Lexie repeated, pressing a gentle kiss to Willa's temple, and cuddling her close.

"She feels warm," Lexie told Margaret.

Margaret nodded. "And we couldn't get her to eat her lunch. I tried to get in touch with Addison and Derek, but-"

"They're both in surgery," Lexie filled in. She looked down at Willa, who was still wailing in her arms, and she knew that something was wrong. Willa wasn't one to throw tantrums, but Lexie had witnessed the occasional Willa tantrum; and this wasn't that. Something was seriously wrong.

"Willa, does something hurt?" Lexie asked, trying to sound as calm as possible, and doing her best to keep the fear that she was feeling out of her voice. But Willa didn't answer; she just continued to cry hysterically.

Lexie looked at Willa sympathetically and, as she met the little girl's eyes, a bubble of fear rose in her throat. She turned to Margaret; "Is it me, or does Willa look pukey to you?"

"I," Margaret stammered, as she looked at Willa closely.

"Oh, she definitely looks pukey," Lexie declared, rushing Willa over to a trashcan just in time for the toddler to vomit into it.

"It's okay, Sweetie," Lexie reassured Willa, as the little girl began to cry with renewed vigor. "You're going to be okay, I promise." She turned her attention to Margaret. "So, you weren't able to get in contact with Addison and Derek?" she confirmed.

Margaret shook her head. "I can't reach either of them."

"Okay, I can go get them," Lexie offered. She tried to hand Willa back to Margaret, but Willa refused to let go of Lexie. "Willa," Lexie said softly, "I'm just going to leave for a couple of minutes, and when I come back, I'll bring Mommy and Daddy with me. Does that sound good?"

But Willa just clung to Lexie tighter, and continued to cry. "Okay," Lexie sighed, as she rubbed Willa's tiny back gently. "I'll stay here with you for now." She turned her attention to Margaret. "Can you call Dr. Stevens?" she asked, handing over her phone. "She always keeps her cell phone on during surgery. It drives Dr. Shepherd crazy, but I think he'll appreciate it today."

Margaret nodded, and accepted the phone; and Lexie turned her attention back to Willa. "It's okay, Willa," she said soothingly, as she stroked the little girl's hair. "You're hurting, aren't you?"

Willa nodded tearfully, and Lexie's heart broke as she watched the little girl clutch her stomach in pain. "I want Mommy," she choked out.

"I know," Lexie nodded sympathetically. "And she's going to be here very, very soon," she promised, as she watched Willa continue to clutch her stomach. "Hey, Willa, does your tummy hurt?"

"Uh-huh," Willa whimpered, tears still streaming down her face.

"Okay, let's see," Lexie said, as she gingerly felt Willa's stomach, noting that it felt a little bloated.

"I want Mommy," Willa sniffled tearfully.

"I know," Lexie said soothingly, as she tried to work through her own moral dilemma. She knew that she needed to order Willa a CT scan; but that would require her to leave Willa. And Willa was scared and clearly in pain, and Lexie wanted to make sure that Willa had someone with her, comforting her and taking care of her, until her parents showed up. But, still, someone needed to order a CT scan.

Luckily for her, Cristina Yang chose that exact moment to walk by the daycare center. "Hey, Yang," Lexie called out, trying to get Cristina's attention.

Cristina cautiously turned, wondering why in the world anyone from the daycare center would want something from her.

"Yang," Lexie called out again. "I need you to contact paeds, and order a CT."

"You can't order me around," Cristina shot back. "I'm your superior."

Lexie sighed heavily, before gesturing to Willa, who was still sobbing in her arms.

"You need a CT for Little Shepherd?" Cristina asked. "What's wrong with her?"

"She needs a CT," Lexie answered vaguely. "I'd order it myself, but I can't walk around the hospital with a crying child, so please, please can you order it…or have one of your interns order it? Please?"

"I'll order it," Cristina nodded, reaching out, and hesitantly placing a hand on Willa's back.

"Thank you," Lexie said gratefully.

"I'll uh, I'll keep it quiet too," Cristina continued. "I'm sure the Shepherds don't want or need this getting out."

"Yeah," Lexie agreed, completely taken aback by Cristina's uncharacteristic display of compassion. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Cristina nodded, before making her way out of the daycare center.

Lexie turned her attention back to Willa, speaking to the little girl in hushed, soothing tones; but she was interrupted by Margaret tapping her on the shoulder. "Addison and Derek are on their way."

"Oh, good," Lexie breathed. "Hear that, Willa?" she asked the toddler in her arms. "Mommy and Daddy are going to be here very soon."

Willa nodded tearfully, meeting Lexie's eyes. "I want Mommy."

"I know," Lexie agreed, kissing Willa's forehead gently. "And your mommy is going to be here so, so soon."

Willa nodded, and Lexie swallowed hard as she watched the little girl writhe in pain. "Mommy," she whimpered.

"She'll be here very soon," Lexie promised, wrapping her arms protectively around Willa. "I know you want your mommy, and I don't blame you…but can you sit here with me until she comes? Would that be okay?"

"Yeah," Willa agreed.

"Okay," Lexie nodded. "Mommy will be here before you know it. I promise."

Willa looked up at Lexie, a pleading look in here eyes. "Don't go," she begged, gripping Lexie's scrubs tighter.

Lexie smiled before kissing Willa's forehead gently. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "I'm going to sit here, with you in my arms, and I'm going to stroke your hair…because that's what I like to have done for me when I'm hurt."

And, true to her word, Lexie sat there with Willa, stroking the little girl's hair, as her cries subsided into soft, but pain-filled whimpers. Lexie knew that she couldn't take away the immense physical discomfort that Willa was feeling, but she could sit there with her and stroke her hair – so she settled for that.

xxxxx

"Is she okay?" Addison asked worriedly, as she and Derek rushed into the hospital daycare center, feeling her breath catch in her throat when she looked over and saw Willa crying in Lexie's arms.

"Hey, Willa, look who's here," Lexie said soothingly, as she handed Willa to Addison.

Willa immediately clung to her mother, resting her head against Addison's shoulder, as she continued to cry out in pain.

"Shh, it's okay, Willa," Addison said reassuringly, as she wrapped her arms around her daughter protectively, doing her best to comfort her, while Derek spoke to Lexie.

"Her stomach's really bothering her," Lexie explained. "It feels a little bloated, and she vomited a few minutes ago. And Margaret said she wouldn't eat her lunch. She might just have a stomach bug, or something like that, but I don't know, she's in a lot of pain, and, and…"

Derek and Addison looked at each other. "Appendicitis," they said together.

Lexie nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. Cristina's getting a CT set up so we can find out for certain."

"Oh my God," Addison breathed, as tears sprung to her own eyes; and Derek swallowed hard, trying his best not to let his wife or his daughter see how worried he was.

Addison pressed a kiss to Willa's temple, and held her daughter closer, before meeting her husband's eyes. "She's going to need surgery, Derek."

"Maybe not," Derek said cautiously, as he gently stroked Willa's hair. "It could be a million different things. We might be overreacting."

But Addison shook her head. "Something's wrong," she insisted. "I know my daughter well enough to know that there's something wrong."

Derek nodded. "Well, if it is appendicitis, at least appendectomies are relatively routine, low-risk surgeries."

"Yeah," Addison sighed, as she gently rubbed Willa's back. "It's just…it's easy to forget that when it's your child."

"I know," Derek agreed, doing his best to push the memory of O'Malley's first, nearly fatal, appendectomy out of his mind. Thoughts like that certainly wouldn't do anything to calm his nerves. "But this is one of the best hospitals in the country," he went on, trying to reassure both his wife and himself. "And Willa's going to have the very best team of doctors in there with her." He pressed a gentle kiss to Willa's forehead and met Addison's eyes. "Nothing's going to happen to our little girl."

Addison drew a nervous breath. "You're right. I know you're right," she conceded. She looked down at Willa, who was still clinging to her tightly. "I just, you're going to have to keep reminding me."

Derek smiled before kissing his wife's temple. "I can do that."

xxxxx

It was appendicitis. And, even though appendectomies were routine surgeries, Addison and Derek were still worried.

"So, you'll be in there with her?" Addison asked Alex.

"I will," Alex nodded.

"Good," Addison nodded. "She'll feel better knowing that you're there."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to her," Alex promised.

"That's right you won't," Bailey chuckled, entering Willa's hospital room, "because _I'm_ performing the surgery. _You're_ assisting. Willa's practically family to you, Karev. You may be a resident, and this may be a routine surgery, but there's no way, I'm letting you take the lead on this one."

"Okay," Alex agreed, putting his ego aside. "You're the boss."

"Thank you," Bailey smiled.

"Karev," Addison said, grabbing Alex by the arm. "Make sure the anesthesiologist knows her weight. I've heard about way too many cases where they estimate wrong and, and-"

"Twenty-seven pounds, right?" Alex cut in, before Addison could finish her bleak story.

"Uh, yeah, that's…that's exactly right," Addison stammered. "How did you-"

"She's my niece," Alex smiled. "And this is my job. She's in good hands, Addison."

Addison nodded, before looking over at Willa, who looked so little, lying in the hospital bed. Derek was sitting next to her, gently stroking his daughter's cheek, as he and Willa flipped through one of Izzie's bridal magazines together.

"Excuse me, Dr. Bailey," Cristina said, as she entered Willa's hospital room. "I was wondering if I could get in on this surgery."

Alex looked at Cristina in surprise. "Since when do you do appendectomies, Yang?" he snorted. "I thought it was all about cardio with you?"

"You know that, after Dr. Sloan, I have the neatest sutures in the hospital," Cristina continued, ignoring Alex's comment. "Let me in on this surgery."

"You do have neat sutures," Bailey agreed. "So, I guess if you want in, you're in."

"Thank you," Cristina nodded.

"Um, Yang, a word," Alex said, dragging Cristina into the hallway. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"Scrubbing in on Willa's appendectomy," Cristina answered matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but why?" Alex asked. "You hate scrubbing in on routine surgeries."

"I have the best sutures in the hospital," Cristina explained calmly. "Willa's going to have an appendix scar for the rest of her life. The least we can do is make sure that it's as neat as possible. That's where I come in."

"Okay," Alex nodded. "But…why are you being so…so…so nice? I thought you didn't even like the Shepherds."

"He's not my favorite person," Cristina admitted with a shrug. "But, despite everything, I like her. We have a history."

"You have a history?" Alex asked in confusion. "You realize that a statement like that makes it sound like you two-"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Cristina scoffed. She looked at Alex closely. "Addison never told you about our history."

Alex shook his head. "No."

Cristina smiled. "She really is good people," she mused to herself before turning her attention back to Alex. "Okay, what I'm about to tell you stays between us, okay?"

Alex nodded. "Okay."

_Cristina was exhausted. In a matter of a couple of hours, she had lost a baby and a fallopian tube, and she was exhausted. Burke had gone home, Meredith had gone home, her mother had gone home (not that she minded the last one) – and Cristina wanted to go home too. But she couldn't. She was stuck in the hospital overnight. She closed her eyes, but the sound of high heels clicking against the floor caught her attention, and she opened her eyes to see Addison walking into her hospital room._

"_Hey," Addison said softly. "How're you feeling?"_

"_Fine," Cristina answered emotionlessly._

"_I'm, uh, I'm really sorry," Addison apologized._

"_Don't be," Cristina shrugged. "I had scheduled an abortion anyway." She looked at the redhead closely, hoping to provoke some type of reaction, but if Addison was shocked by Cristina's admission, she didn't let on._

_Addison nodded. "Still, you had that choice taken away from you today, and nobody deserves that, so I'm sorry."_

_Addison had hit the nail on the head. She had said exactly what Cristina was feeling – exactly what she hadn't allowed herself to say to anyone else. There was no doubt in her mind that, even if she hadn't had an ectopic pregnancy, she would have went ahead with the abortion. But she never got to make that decision for herself – and that hurt like hell._

"_I, uh," Cristina stammered, fighting back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "Thank you. And thank you for saving my life today."_

_Addison smiled. "You're welcome. Is there anything I can do for you?"_

_Cristina shook her head. _

"_Okay," Addison nodded. "Well, if there is-"_

"_I'm not supposed to like you," Cristina interrupted. "You're married to my best friend's boyfriend…or ex-boyfriend…or whatever Derek is to Meredith."_

"_I know," Addison nodded._

"_But what you said…what you just said about how it's unfair that I had the option of having an abortion taken away from me today…that's exactly how I feel. And I-I…it hurts," Cristina admitted, as a single tear managed to escape her eyes. "And I haven't been able to say that…out loud…to anyone. I just, I felt like I couldn't say it."_

"_You can say it to me," Addison said, patting Cristina's shoulder gently. "I get it. And I'm so sorry."_

_And, for whatever reason, Addison's heartfelt apology was all it took to open the floodgates again, and Cristina began openly weeping. Addison immediately wrapped her arms around Cristina, sympathetically. "It's okay," she whispered soothingly. "It's okay."_

_Cristina allowed herself to sob in Addison's arms for a brief moment before quickly pulling herself together, and meeting Addison's eyes. "Please don't tell anyone about this," she begged._

"_I won't," Addison promised. She gave Cristina a teasing smile; "I can't afford to have people find out that I don't hate my husband's mistress' best friend."_

_Cristina smiled. "So this stays-"_

"_Between us," Addison finished._

_Cristina nodded. Thank you…for everything."_

_Addison smiled. "You're welcome."_

Cristina shot Alex a warning look; "Evil Spawn, I swear, if you tell that story to anyone, I-"

"I won't say anything," Alex promised.

"Good," Cristina nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Alex smiled. "Now, come on, you and I have an important surgery to scrub in on."

"Yeah," Cristina agreed. "Yes, we do."

xxxxx

"Shouldn't she be out of surgery by now?" Addison asked her husband worriedly.

Derek squeezed Addison's thigh reassuringly and checked his watch. Addison was right; Willa's surgery should have been just about over. "I'm sure they're just being extra cautious," Derek assured his wife.

Addison met Derek's eyes. "You don't…you don't think there were complications, do you? I mean, appendectomies are really routine surgeries, but maybe…"

"I'm sure everything went fine," Derek reassured her. "We let interns scrub in on appendectomies. Willa had an attending and two very good residents in there with her. I'm sure everything's okay."

"You're right," Addison nodded. "I know you're right. I just, I wish someone would give us an update."

The words had barely left her mouth, when Cristina approached them. "Willa's out of surgery," she told them, a slight smile gracing her features. "And she's asking for you."

A wide smile spread across Addison's face. "So everything went-"

"Perfectly," Cristina filled in. "It was a completely textbook surgery."

"Thank you," Derek said appreciatively. "Thank you so much."

"Wait until you check out my sutures," Cristina chuckled. "Then you can thank me."

Addison and Derek walked into Willa's hospital room to find their daughter awake in her hospital bed. And Addison didn't even bother trying to fight the tears that were welling up in her eyes; she was so happy and relieved to see her daughter looking cheerful and healthy.

"Hey, Willa," she smiled, as she sat down on the edge of her daughter's hospital bed, and pressed a gentle kiss to Willa's temple. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Willa smiled, as Derek leaned in and kissed his daughter on the forehead.

He turned his attention to Bailey, Alex, and Cristina. "So everything went well?" he asked. Cristina had already told him and Addison that the surgery went fine, but he needed to hear it again.

"Everything went well," Bailey confirmed with a smile. "No complications, no infections. Everything went well."

"Good," Derek smiled, breathing a sigh of relief, as he watched his wife hold their daughter close.

"And she was so brave too," Alex grinned. "Tell Mommy and Daddy how brave you were, Willa."

Willa looked up at Alex in confusion.

"Well, you were asleep, so you don't remember," Alex chuckled. "But I was in there with you, and you were very brave," he complimented; and Willa smiled back at her uncle proudly.

"Why don't we give you two some time alone with Willa," Cristina offered, as she, Alex, and Bailey walked towards the door of Willa's room. "Page us if you need anything."

"Thanks," Derek smiled. He watched their retreating forms for a moment before pulling up a chair next to Willa's bed and sitting down in it. "It's crazy," he murmured, as he stroked his daughter's hair gently.

"What is?" Addison asked.

"Just when you think it's impossible to love her any more than you already do, something like this happens. And you realize..."

"I know," Addison agreed with a smile. "You realize just how much she means to you."

xxxxx

"So, which cake do you like best?" Izzie asked Willa, as she, Willa, and Alex flipped through a wedding magazine.

Izzie and Alex had convinced Derek and Addison to get some dinner when it came out that neither of them could remember the last time that they had eaten something. It took some persuasion, but Izzie and Alex assured the Shepherds that they'd watch Willa while they were gone, and promised to call them if there were any problems.

So far, there weren't any. The three of them were happily looking at cakes for the wedding.

"So?" Alex pressed, as Willa studied the cakes carefully.

"That one," Willa smiled, pointing to a champagne-colored, four-tier wedding cake, covered with ribbons and white roses.

"It's not chocolate," Alex noted, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you sure you're your mother's daughter?" he teased.

"Oh, she's her mother's daughter, alright," Izzie chuckled. "Check out the price."

And Alex laughed as he looked at the price of the cake, and saw that the cake that Willa had selected was by far the most expensive one on the page.

"I want this," he smiled.

"Really?" Izzie asked in surprise. "You want this ridiculously expensive cake?"

"No," Alex said, shaking his head. "I want this," he repeated, gesturing to him, her, and Willa. "A family…with you."

Izzie met her fiancé's eyes and smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded.

"Good," Izzie grinned. "'Cause I want that too."

xxxxx

Addison was making her way back to Willa's hospital room. After a quick dinner and a stop back home to get Willa's things, she and Derek had headed back to the hospital. Both of them had patients that they needed to check up on, but neither wanted to spend too much time away from Willa, so they decided to check on their patients in shifts. She'd check on her patients first, while he spent time with Willa; and then they'd switch. She was about to enter Willa's room, when a scene between her husband and their daughter caused her to linger in the doorway, watching them.

"I was really worried about you today, Willa," Derek confessed, as he carefully painted his daughter's fingernails with the nail polish that Izzie and Alex had given Willa as a get-well gift. "I love you so much, and I hate to see you hurting."

"All better now," Willa said, giving her father a reassuring smile.

Derek couldn't help smiling at Willa's reassurance. "I'm really proud of you," he went on, as he continued to paint his daughter's nails. "You were so brave." And Willa smiled back, watching mesmerized, as her father painted her nails hot pink.

"Daddy," she said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"I have a boo-boo." She used her unpolished hand to lift her shirt slightly so that her father could see her stitches.

"Let's see," Derek said, leaning in to get a better look at his daughter's stitches. Yang had truly done a good job.

Willa looked down at her stitches and frowned. "Ugly?" she asked her father hesitantly.

"No, Sweetie," Derek answered automatically, pressing a kiss to his daughter's temple. "It's not ugly at all. It shows what a brave little girl you were today."

Willa looked at her father skeptically.

"It does," Derek insisted.

"Daddy's right," Addison agreed, as she entered her daughter's hospital room, and lovingly ran her hand through her husband's wavy hair. There was no denying that Derek was an incredible father but, every now and again, he still managed to surprise her with just how amazing he was with Willa. This was one of those moments.

Addison turned her attention to Willa. "Is Daddy painting your nails?" she asked her daughter, relieved that Willa still seemed happy and cheerful.

Willa nodded, and held up her hand so that her mother could see her hot pink fingernails.

"Very pretty," Addison complimented. "What do you say we gave Daddy a little break, and I'll finish painting your nails?" Addison suggested.

"Okay," Willa agreed. "Then your nails?" she asked hopefully.

Addison looked down at her own freshly manicured nude-colored nails. "Sure, Willa," she smiled, knowing that her daughter was the only person in the world she'd willingly ruin a perfectly good manicure for.

They were halfway through with painting Addison's nails when Lexie knocked on the door to Willa's hospital room.

Addison looked up at her and smiled. "Come on in, Lexie," she urged.

"Oh, uh, I can come back later if you want to spend some time with Willa alone. I totally get that. I could-"

"Stay," Addison insisted, giving Lexie a warm smile. "I, uh, I never got the chance to thank you for everything you did today."

"It wasn't a big deal," Lexie shrugged. "I'm just glad Willa's okay."

"It was a big deal," Addison disagreed. "And I appreciate it. And Derek appreciates it. And Willa does too. Hey, Willa," Addison said, turning her attention to her daughter, "can you thank Aunt Lexie for taking such good care of you today?"

"Aunt Lexie?" Willa and Lexie said together in confusion.

Addison gave Lexie a warm smile before turning her attention to her daughter. "Willa, you know how even though Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzie aren't technically related to us, we still call them Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzie because we love them so much, and they love us so much, and we want them to be part of our family?"

"Yes," Willa nodded.

"Well I think that Lexie loves you very much, and I know that you love her very much, and don't you want her to be a part of our family?"

"Yeah," Willa smiled.

"Addison, you don't have to do this," Lexie cut in. "I was happy to be there for her today."

But Addison was vehemently shaking her head. "When I found out that something was wrong with Willa, earlier today, I was so scared. I can't describe how scared I was. But when I walked into the daycare center, and saw Willa with you, and saw you comforting her and stroking her hair, I was so grateful that you were there. I was still scared, but seeing you there with her made me feel better."

"Addison."

"You've become such an important person in Willa's life," Addison continued. "In all of our lives. Mark's crazy about you, Derek and I think you're fantastic, and Willa loves you very much…so, as far as I'm concerned, you're family."

"Thank you," Lexie smiled, as she hugged Addison tightly. "You're gonna make me cry."

"Nails, Aunt Lexie?" Willa offered quickly, pointing to the bottles of nail polish in front of her.

Lexie shot Addison a confused look, and Addison chuckled. "Apparently, in this family, we've come to associate getting your nails done with feeling better."

"Oh," Lexie laughed.

Addison smiled helplessly, before looking down at her buzzing pager. "Shoot," she muttered, as she read the page.

"Patient?" Lexie asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Addison nodded.

"Go," Lexie encouraged.

Addison looked at her hesitantly.

"Go," Lexie insisted. "I can handle things here for a while." She looked at Willa and smiled. "Besides, I want to spend some quality time with my niece."

xxxxx

"Hey, Willa," Mark smiled, as he entered his niece's room, carrying a bouquet of flowers. "How're you feeling?"

"Good," Willa answered, as Mark gently kissed her on the forehead, and handed her the flowers.

"Thank you," Willa smiled, as she admired the flowers that her uncle had bought her.

"You're welcome," Mark grinned. "So, let's see those stitches," he said, as Willa lifted her shirt slightly so that Mark could examine Yang's handiwork. "Yang did a good job," Mark approved.

He smiled and sat down next to Lexie, who was still watching Willa. "I heard you were quite the hero today," he complimented his girlfriend, before kissing her chastely.

"It wasn't a big deal," Lexie shrugged, deflecting Mark's praise.

"It was," Mark insisted. "And hearing about how great you were with her today…it makes me love you more, if that's even possible."

"Mark," Lexie smiled self-consciously. "It really wasn't a big deal."

"Uncle Mark nails?" Willa asked, gesturing to the bottles of nail polish in front of her.

"Where did she get all of those?" Mark laughed.

"Izzie and Alex gave them to her," Lexie explained. "You know, as a get-well present."

"So that's why Karev's been running around the hospital with bright red nails," Mark chuckled.

"Uncle Mark nails?" Willa asked again hopefully.

"Sure, Willa," Mark smiled. "What color should we paint my nails?" he asked his niece with a smirk.

"Same color as Aunt Lexie," Willa answered automatically.

"Aunt Lexie?" Mark asked in surprise.

Willa nodded.

"When did that happen?" Mark asked his girlfriend.

"About an hour ago," Lexie smiled. "Ask her why."

"Hey, Willa, why do you call Lexie Aunt Lexie?" Mark asked his niece.

Willa smiled. "'Cause I love her so much, and she loves me so much, and I want her to be my family."

Mark couldn't help grinning at his niece's words. But he also couldn't help thinking about how accurately what Willa had just said captured his own feelings about Lexie. He loved her like nobody else in the world. And, like Willa, he wanted to make her a part of his family. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Now all he needed to do was to propose to her and make things official.

xxxxx

"Welcome home, Willa," Addison smiled, as she and Derek led Willa into their house.

Willa had ended up spending two nights in the hospital. She probably could have gotten away with only spending one night there, but everyone decided to keep her an extra night just to be on the safe side.

"I don't know about you," Derek began, "but I'm exhausted."

"I am so tired," Addison agreed.

It was unsurprising that they were tired. They had both stayed with Willa in the hospital, and neither had gotten much sleep.

"What about you, Willa?" Addison asked her daughter. "I bet you're tired too."

"Nap," Willa murmured sleepily.

"That sounds like a good idea," Derek nodded. "I bet you'll be happy to sleep in your own bed again, huh?"

Willa looked from Derek to Addison, with wide, puppy-dog eyes. "Nap in your bed?" she asked hopefully.

Addison and Derek exchanged a smile over their daughter's head. "Okay," Addison agreed. "Let's put some pajamas on you, and then we'll all take a nap in Mommy and Daddy's bed."

A few minutes later, The Shepherds were cuddled up in Addison and Derek's bed. Willa and Addison had fallen asleep almost immediately. And, as Derek looked over at his sleeping wife and daughter, he couldn't help but smile. The past few months had been so sharply marked by everything that he and Addison had lost. But, as he watched his wife and daughter, he was reminded of how much he had and how lucky he was. He was reminded of how much Willa and Addison meant to him. And, sure, he still wanted another baby, and he was confident that he and Addison would have another baby eventually; but, right now, he was incredibly grateful. And he couldn't imagine a better way to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your nice feedback on the last chapter. I really loved writing it, so I was glad that you liked it as well. I've got to be honest, this chapter was originally slated to be the last one, but I'm thinking about keeping the story going, so I'd love to hear what you think. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Mark apologized, as he walked into Joe's and sat down at a table with Addison, Derek, and Alex. "Things with one of my patients got a little crazy."

"Is everything okay now?" Addison asked in concern.

"Everything's fine," Mark nodded. "But enough about work…this is Alex's bachelor party. It's time to celebrate."

"Sounds good to me," Alex agreed.

Mark turned to Addison. "I still can't believe you vetoed the strippers," he chuckled.

"I know," Alex agreed. "As my best man-"

"Of course I vetoed the strippers," Addison cut in, "because you, Alex Karev, are a classy guy, and classy guys don't do strippers. Well, that, and I promised your fiancée that there wouldn't be any."

"It's nice to see where your loyalties lie," Alex teased.

"Trust me, you'll thank me for this," Addison shot back. "How about a drink?" she offered.

"A drink sounds good," Alex nodded.

"I'll get the first round," Mark offered, standing up and making his way towards the bar. "Derek, come help me."

"Okay," Derek agreed, standing up and joining Mark.

"So, there's something I want to show you," Mark said, as he and Derek approached the bar.

"Um, that sound mildly creepy," Derek smirked. "Should I be worried?"

Mark shook his head. "No. I just, I want to show you this." He reached into his pocket, and pulled at a small velvet jewelry box. "What do you think?" he asked, opening the box to reveal a stunning princess-cut diamond ring.

"I'm sorry, but I'm happily married," Derek teased.

"Derek."

Derek gave his friend a warm smile. "Lexie's going to love it."

"You think so?" Mark asked.

"Definitely," Derek nodded. "So…you're proposing? You? Really?"

"Yeah," Mark nodded, a wide smile forming on his face. "Yeah, I am."

Derek met his best friend's eyes and smiled. Mark was so undeniably happy, and Derek couldn't help being happy for him. "Congratulations," he grinned, patting Mark's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," Mark smiled. "But don't congratulate me just yet," he warned. "She still has to say yes."

xxxxx

"You're beautiful," Alex complimented, holding Izzie close, as they danced their first dance together as husband and wife.

Izzie met her husband's eyes and smiled.

"And not in a 'from a certain angle way,'" Alex went on. "In an obvious way. But it's more than that. It's always been more than that."

He wasn't lying. Alex had always thought that Izzie was beautiful. When he first met her, he thought she was too pretty to be a hard-core surgeon. She was a hot, former model that he was determined to sleep with – another notch in his bedpost. But he quickly learned that Izzie could never be just another notch on his bedpost. She was the first woman he saw as being more than just hot – Izzie was beautiful.

But it was more than that. He realized just how strong she was when he watched her resiliently cope with Denny's death. And he was reminded of just how smart and hard-core she was every time he watched her in surgery. When she told him about Hannah, the baby she had given up for adoption as a teenager, he realized just how brave she was. And nobody knew how to make him smile like she could.

"You're beautiful," Alex repeated. "And I don't think I've ever been this happy."

"You know, I was actually just thinking the same thing," Izzie admitted.

"Really?" Alex asked.

Izzie nodded. She was blissfully happy. They had made it to this day, and a part of her still couldn't believe it. Neither she nor Alex had ever had it easy. She had endured a teenage pregnancy and had lost her fiancé; he had endured an abusive father and a crappy childhood. And, somehow, in spite of all that, they had made it. And they found each other in the process.

"So, you think I'm beautiful?" Alex smirked, cutting into Izzie's thoughts.

"Well…" Izzie trailed off teasingly.

Alex was beautiful, and she knew it. Nobody could deny that he was incredibly attractive. But he was more than that. There was more to Alex than his warm brown eyes, his muscular chest, and his heart-stopping smile. Alex was a good man. He proved that he was a good friend when he took care of her after Denny had died. And she knew from watching him in surgery what a gifted and dedicated doctor he was. He always knew just what to say to push her buttons and drive her crazy; but he also knew exactly what to say and do to make her feel better when she was upset. And she knew from watching how amazing he was with Willa that he was nothing like his own father – that he would make an incredible father one day.

"So…" Alex prodded, bringing Izzie back to reality, "you never answered my question."

"Yeah," Izzie smiled, before leaning in and kissing Alex softly, "I think you're beautiful."

xxxxx

"And you wonder why everyone used to call him McDreamy," Izzie smirked, as she walked up alongside Addison, who was watching her husband and daughter, a wide smile on her face. Derek and Willa were out on the dance floor. Derek was holding Willa in his arms, swaying to the music with her.

"He's really great with her," Izzie smiled, as she too watched Derek and Willa.

"Yeah," Addison agreed, reluctantly turning her attention away from her husband and daughter, and meeting Izzie's eyes. "This is a beautiful wedding," she complimented. "Everything's perfect."

"It is, isn't it?" Izzie agreed.

"Yeah," Addison nodded, stealing a quick glance at her husband and daughter, her eyes softening as she watched them.

Izzie watched Addison for a moment, noticing the look of longing in her eyes as she watched her husband and daughter. "So, uh, do you and Derek…do you guys ever talk about maybe trying for another baby again?"

Addison looked at Izzie in surprise. Sure, the question was mildly inappropriate, but she considered Izzie among her closest friends, and she knew she shouldn't have been too shocked – even when she and Izzie weren't close friends, Izzie hadn't been above asking Addison the occasional inappropriate question or two.

"I," Addison stammered; and Izzie watched her friend closely.

"You're not pregnant now, are you?" she asked.

Addison gestured toward the glass of champagne in her hand. "If I were, I'd be acting pretty irresponsibly, right now, don't you think?"

"Just checking," Izzie chuckled, as she went back to watching Derek and Willa.

"You know," Addison began smugly, "I think that maybe you have a touch of baby fever."

"Maybe," Izzie agreed with a laugh. "But, come on; are you not seeing your husband and daughter, right now? How could you possibly watch them together and not want a baby? Hell, the two of them are adorable enough to give Yang baby fever."

"I think you're exaggerating," Addison laughed. Izzie was exaggerating, but she wasn't entirely wrong. Over the past couple of weeks, Addison had begun to give some serious thought to trying for another baby.

"Anyway," Izzie chuckled, cutting into Addison's thoughts, "I'm going to go find my husband."

Addison turned her attention away from Derek and Willa, and met Izzie's eyes. "Your husband," she smiled. "That has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Izzie agreed, smiling widely. "I can definitely get used to it."

xxxxx

"Mark, what are we doing out here?" Lexie asked her boyfriend, as he led her out of the banquet hall and into the hotel lobby.

Mark shrugged and gave his girlfriend a warm smile. "I figured we could both use a break from all of the sappy wedding songs and tacky wedding traditions."

"Hey, I love wedding traditions," Lexie defended. "Did you know that I've caught the bouquet at the last three wedding's I've been to?"

"Really?" Mark asked in surprise.

Lexie nodded. "I caught it at my sister Molly's wedding. Then I caught it at my cousin Kristin's wedding. And then, last year, I caught it at my friend from college's wedding. Three weddings in a row," Lexie grinned proudly.

"Hey, uh, what if we, what if we sat this bouquet toss out?" Mark asked.

Lexie looked at her boyfriend in confusion. "Why? Did you not just hear my three in a row story? I mean, it's not like I actually believe that the person who catches the bouquet is going to be the next to get married. But three in a row…I've got to be close to some kind of record."

Mark chuckled at his girlfriend's line of reasoning. "Yeah, but, still," he insisted, "what if you and me just sat tonight's bouquet toss out?"

Lexie looked at her boyfriend suspiciously. "I, uh, I don't think I'm following," she admitted.

Mark gave Lexie a warm smile; he was about to clarify things. "I never saw myself as being the type to settle down and commit to one woman," he started. "To tell the truth, I never wanted that. I never saw that type of life for myself. The idea of one woman for the rest of my life…well, it scared me. But then I met you. And you're beautiful and you're kind and you're smart. And, suddenly, the idea of being with one woman for the rest of my life isn't so scary. But the idea of not spending every day with you…the idea of not waking up next to you every morning and going to bed next to you every night…that scares the hell out of me. So, I'm asking you to sit out this bouquet toss…and every bouquet toss for the rest of our lives…because…I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He dropped to his knee, reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small jewelry box, and revealed a breathtaking, princess-cut diamond ring. "Lexie, will you marry me?"

"Really?" Lexie breathed, struggling against the tears that were stinging her eyes.

"Really," Mark nodded.

"Of course I'll marry you," Lexie smiled, leaning in and kissing Mark deeply.

"I love you, Lexie," Mark smiled, slipping the ring on his fiancée's finger.

"I love you too," Lexie grinned, as she admired her engagement ring, before looking up and meeting Mark's eyes. "So much."

Mark smiled before kissing Lexie softly. "So," he smirked, "is this better than catching the bouquet four times in a row?"

Lexie chuckled, but quickly grew serious. "I can't think of many things better than this."

xxxxx

"Hey," Derek murmured, walking up behind Addison, and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Dance with me?" he whispered in her ear.

Addison turned and met her husband's eyes. "Yeah," she smiled, as Derek led her out to the dance floor. She lightly placed her hand on his back, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, as they began to sway to the music together.

"Hey, Derek," she said after a moment.

"Hmm?" he murmured against her hair.

"I want to start trying again. I'm ready to start trying again."

Derek met his wife's eyes and smiled. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," Addison nodded.

A slight smile played on Derek's lips, as he took in the look on his wife's face. She looked hopeful – cautiously excited. Her miscarriage had been tough on both of them; and while it had hurt him badly, he knew that it had hurt her in a way that he'd never fully be able to understand. But, there she was, telling him that she was ready. That she wanted to start trying again. And that made his heart swell.

He smiled at her adoringly. "I want that too," he said softly, as he caressed her cheek.

Addison smiled, before leaning in and kissing her husband softly, tasting the scotch that was still lingering on his lips. "I love you," she whispered, as Derek held her close. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Derek murmured, kissing his wife deeply; and both he and Addison allowed themselves to get lost in the kiss.

"Willa, what are we going to do with your mommy and daddy?" Mark's voice cut in. "I mean, all these years of marriage, and they're still going at it like a couple of crazy teenagers."

Derek and Addison quickly broke apart to find Mark, Lexie, and Willa standing there, staring at them. "Sorry," Addison chuckled, shrugging nonchalantly, "but I'm in love with my husband."

Mark turned to Willa, who he was holding in his arms, and smiled. "You realize that they are going to embarrass you to no end when you're a teenager, right?"

Willa looked at Mark in confusion, trying to figure out what her uncle had just said to her.

"Just take my word for it," Mark chuckled, sensing his niece's confusion and cuddling her closer. "But when it happens…and it will happen…you can come to Uncle Mark."

"We're not going to embarrass her," Derek insisted, as Mark handed Willa over to Addison.

"We'll see," Mark smirked. "Anyway," he said, suddenly growing serious. "Lexie and I, uh, we wanted to tell you that we're engaged."

"Seriously?" Addison asked excitedly.

"Seriously," Mark nodded, as Lexie held out her hand to show off her engagement ring.

Addison took Lexie's hand and examined the ring closely. "It's beautiful," she complimented.

"Pretty ring," Willa agreed, her eyes widening in delight. She turned to her mother. "That ring for my birthday?" she asked hopefully.

"One day, sweetie," Addison chuckled, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "One day you'll get a ring like that."

"And that will be the day that Derek loses that nice hair of his," Mark laughed, nudging Derek good-naturedly.

"Hey, what's going on over here?" Alex cut in, as he and Izzie joined Derek, Addison, Willa, Mark, and Lexie.

Mark and Lexie exchanged a hesitant look. "Well," Mark began cautiously, "we don't want to make too big of a deal about it, right now, because today is your day, but Lexie and I are engaged."

"Congratulations!" Izzie squealed, rushing in to hug Lexie, while Alex shook Mark's hand. "This is such exciting news!"

And as Alex and Izzie continued to offer their congratulations to Mark and Lexie, Derek pulled, Addison aside, and wrapped his arms around her and Willa.

A lot exciting things were happening. Alex and Izzie had gotten married. Mark and Lexie were engaged. He and Addison were trying for another baby. He pressed a kiss to Addison's temple, before pulling her and Willa in closer. Addison looked up at him, and they exchanged a smile – one of those smiles that say nothing and everything all at once. Because he knew, just by looking at her, that they were thinking the same thing – that as happy as they were for their friends, they couldn't wait until they had their own good news to share.

Their time would come. He was certain of it. But, for now, they were both more than happy to celebrate their friends' good news. They were both more than happy to take a step back and appreciate everything that they did have – amazing friends, the cutest kid possible, hopes of another child, and, above all else, they had each other.

"We've made a pretty good life for ourselves," Addison murmured, reading Derek's thoughts.

"Yeah," Derek agreed, casting a glance over at his friends, before smiling at his wife and daughter adoringly. Addison was right; they really had made a good life for themselves. And he couldn't help smiling because he had a feeling that it was only going to get better.

* * *

A/N: So, what do think? I kind of like the open-endedness of ending here, but I also realize that with Mark and Lexie's engagement, Izzie and Alex's marriage, and Addison and Derek trying for another baby, there could be a lot more to write. I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks again for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your nice feedback on this story and your encouragement to keep going – it worked! Initially, I wasn't sure whether to continue, but I really do think that there's a lot more story to tell (Plus, Addison and Derek are awesome!). I hope you like this chapter, and thank you so much for reading!

* * *

"Okay, so I realize that I say this practically every day," Izzie began. "But, come on, how adorable is Willa?"

Alex, Mark, and Lexie looked over at Willa and smiled. Izzie was right – Willa was undeniably adorable. But, today, was Willa's first day of nursery school, and they had to admit, she looked extra adorable today.

"I love her little Burberry dress," Lexie complimented, as she watched Addison and Derek help Willa set up her nursery school cubby.

"And she's wearing matching little shoes too," Izzie added with a smile. "Oh, and Addison took her for a manicure yesterday, so she'd have pretty nails for the first day of school."

"She looks nervous," Mark noted, watching closely, as his niece gripped her mother's hand tightly.

"She does," Alex agreed. "But she's a tough kid. She's gonna do great."

"I'm gonna miss having her around the hospital," Mark admitted. "I always found myself going in to see her, in daycare, after a bad surgery or a tough case. Somehow, spending a couple of minutes with her just made things better."

"She's still going to be in the hospital daycare," Izzie pointed out. "Nursery school's only half a day."

Mark nodded. "Hey, it looks like Willa's nursery school teacher is still shooting us some pretty serious glares," he chuckled.

Lexie laughed as she followed Mark's gaze. "I think we caught her a little off guard. Most of the kids just had one or two people bring them to school today. Willa had all six of us."

"Well, we couldn't not be here," Mark insisted. "Willa's our family."

It was the exact argument that they had used with Richard Webber, when all six of them went to him, a day earlier, and told him that they were all going to be late for work, the following day, because they were dropping Willa off at her first day of nursery school. Richard wasn't quite convinced that this was a six person job, but the six of them were unyielding. So Richard finally agreed to let them all come into work late, telling them that they might as well get this out of their systems now while they still could, because there was no way in hell that this type of thing would fly when Willa got older. The six of them laughed good naturedly, but they all knew that this type of thing would absolutely fly when Willa got older – that, come hell or high water, when the time came, all six of them would be there dropping Willa off at college, helping her unpack her things.

"Uncle Mark," Willa smiled, toddling over to her uncle, and wrapping her tiny arms around his legs, Addison and Derek following closely behind her.

"Hey, Little Buddy," Mark grinned, as he bent down and picked Willa up, before cuddling her close. "I'm going to miss this," he admitted turning his attention to Addison and Derek.

"You're not the only one," Addison laughed. "Willa already asked us if Uncle Mark was going to nursery school with her."

"Excuse me," Willa's nursery school teacher cut in as politely as possible. "But it's starting to get late, and we're starting to ask parents…and whoever the rest of you are," she added, gesturing to Mark, Lexie, Izzie, and Alex, "to leave. So say your goodbyes."

"And I thought nursery school teachers were supposed to be nice," Mark quipped.

"What he really means to say," Lexie cut in, sensing the teacher's discomfort, "is that we're all really happy that we were able to drop Willa off today. So, thank you…so much. And, of course, we don't want to hold things up, so we'll just…we'll say our goodbyes, and be on our way."

Willa's teacher let out a dramatic sigh. "Just start saying your goodbyes," she said as patiently as she could.

Addison nodded politely, as Mark put Willa down so that she could give everyone else a hug goodbye. And as she watched her daughter hug Lexie, Alex, and Izzie, Addison bit her lip to keep the tears that were stinging her eyes at bay. She knew she'd see Willa in a couple of hours, but this was her daughter's first day of nursery school – Willa was growing up, and it just seemed too fast. She remembered the day that Willa was born like it was yesterday. She still so clearly remembered the day that she and Derek brought Willa home from the hospital; the day that Willa had taken her first wobbly steps; and, of course, Willa's first Christmas. And, now, suddenly, Willa was three and starting nursery school.

Derek could tell that his wife was struggling to keep her composure, and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist reassuringly.

"Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy," Willa said quietly, reaching her tiny arms up for a hug.

"Bye, Willa," Derek smiled, reaching down and picking his daughter up, hugging her tightly. "Have fun at school, okay?"

"Okay," Willa nodded, as Derek handed her over to Addison.

And as Derek watched his wife and his daughter, he felt his heart melt. Looks-wise, Willa was a perfect combination of him and Addison, but her mannerisms were so completely Addison. He watched as Addison gave Willa a hug and kiss goodbye, noting that Addison and Willa had identical expressions on their faces – both were biting their lower lips, trying impossibly hard not to cry. And Derek couldn't resist wrapping his arms around them, knowing that he'd do anything to make his two favorite girls feel better.

xxxxx

"So, that was a lot harder than I expected," Addison admitted, as she and Derek walked out of Willa's nursery school towards their car.

"I know," Derek agreed, opening the door to the car and sliding into the driver's seat. "I can't even imagine how hard it's going to be to say goodbye to her when she heads off to college."

"Let's not even think about that," Addison warned.

"Okay," Derek chuckled, sticking his car key into the ignition.

"Hey, uh, Derek," Addison said, gently reaching out, and stilling his hand before he could start the car.

Derek turned at the seriousness of Addison's voice. "Yeah?" he asked softly, meeting his wife's eyes.

"I, uh…this is kind of a weird time and place to tell you this, but I…I can't keep it to myself any longer. And I feel like whenever you try to create this perfect moment, it always ends up being tacky…and that's not who we are. Do you know what I mean?"

"Uh, I get the part about us not being tacky people," Derek chuckled. "But I'm a little lost on the rest."

"I took a pregnancy test before we left this morning…" Addison trailed off.

"And…" Derek asked happily. He technically didn't need Addison to say anything else. They had spent over a third of their lives together; he could read her like an open book. But he wanted to hear her say it. He needed to hear her say it.

Addison met Derek's eyes and smiled. "It was positive."

"Oh my God," Derek breathed, overcome with emotion. He leaned in and kissed his wife deeply. "Addison, I'm so happy," he smiled, when they broke apart. "I'm so ridiculously happy."

"It's still early," Addison said cautiously. "So we shouldn't get our hopes up, but-"

But Derek cut her off with a headshake. "This is meant to be, Addie. You and me and Willa and this new baby…we're supposed to be a family. I just…I know it."

Addison smiled at her husband's words.

"So, wait…" Derek began thoughtfully. "We haven't been trying for very long…which means-"

"The night of Izzie and Alex's wedding," Addison filled in with a smirk. "Or some time around then."

Derek was right – they hadn't been trying very long. Addison had told Derek, at Izzie and Alex's wedding, a month ago, that she was ready to start trying for another baby. And after some quick period-math, she had realized that they were actually very well positioned to start trying immediately. Needless to say, Izzie and Alex weren't the only ones who had enjoyed an eventful wedding night.

"So, that means, what, an April due date?" Derek asked.

Addison nodded. "We'll get a more accurate sense once we do an ultrasound."

"How soon can we do that?" Derek asked excitedly.

"I want to use the same OB I used with Willa…and, uh, the last time…" Addison added, swallowing hard, as she thought about her miscarriage. "So, um, probably, a day or two, depending on our OB's schedule."

Derek nodded, as he stroked Addison's hand reassuringly. "Hey," he said softly, meeting Addison's eyes and smiling widely. "Have I mentioned how excited I am? Because I am."

"Yeah," Addison breathed, a slight smile coming to her face. "Me too."

"Good," Derek grinned. "And I, uh, I get that you're nervous. I am too. But, I don't know…I just…I have a really good feeling about this."

xxxxx

"This doesn't make any sense," Derek muttered, as he read over his patient's file. "I thought that we were removing a tumor from the cerebrum. This chart doesn't indicate that this type surgery is necessary at all."

"It's because you're reading the wrong chart," Izzie explained smugly.

Derek looked at Izzie in surprise. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," Izzie nodded. "I was kind of wondering how long it was going to take you to figure it out." She looked at her boss in concern. "Is everything okay, Dr. Shepherd?"

"Everything's fine," Derek answered quickly. "I'm just a little…distracted."

It made sense. Two days had passed since he learned about Addison's pregnancy, and they had their first doctor's appointment in a few hours. But as excited as they were, they were still worried. Addison had reminded him several times, over the past couple of days, that she was over forty, and that increased the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and other genetic diseases. Derek had done his best to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, but he knew he wouldn't feel better until he saw their baby with his own eyes, and got confirmation that their child was healthy.

"So, how's Willa liking school?" Izzie asked, ripping Derek from his thoughts.

Derek smiled at the mention of his daughter. "She's liking it a lot," he nodded. "Although, she's making friends-"

"Isn't that the point?" Izzie chuckled.

Derek sighed. "It's just, I ask her who her friends from school are…and she tells me Joshua, Aaron, and Ethan."

"All boys," Izzie smirked. "Oh, this must be killing you."

"I just, I thought I'd at least have a few more years before I had to worry about things like this," Derek admitted. "Aren't boys supposed to be gross at that age?"

"She's three…it's completely harmless," Izzie laughed.

"I know," Derek agreed. "It's just…she's my little girl."

"You're a good dad, Derek," Izzie smiled. "You really are."

"Thanks," Derek breathed. "I don't think you know how much I needed to hear that."

xxxxx

"So, this is going to be a little cold," Addison's OB, Jane Galvin, warned as she squirted some gel onto Addison's exposed abdomen. "Okay, let's see," she began, as she started to scan.

"Would you mind tilting the screen a little so that we can see it?" Addison asked. She knew she was micromanaging. She knew that Jane was very good at her job. But she also knew that she was the best – and after everything that had happened, in the past, she needed to see for herself that her baby was okay.

"Sure," Jane smiled, sensing Addison's nervousness. "How's that?" she asked, tilting the screen slightly, before continuing to scan.

"Oh my goodness," Addison breathed, as she took in the image on the screen. She met Jane's eyes. "Is that…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"Yeah," Jane nodded, and Addison's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Addison," Derek said nervously, taking in the look of panic on his wife's face, as his eyes flashed between his wife and the screen. "Addison," he choked out. "What's wrong?"

Addison took a deep breath, noting the fear in Derek's voice, and immediately feeling guilty for worrying him unnecessarily.

"Addison," Derek prodded apprehensively.

"It's fine. Everything's fine," Addison reassured her husband, her eyes connecting with his. "It's just…twins."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback on the last chapter! I loved your reviews, and I'm really glad that you're looking forward to more of this story (I am too!). Anyway, here's the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading, and Happy Holidays! :)

* * *

"Twins," Derek breathed, meeting Addison's eyes, and smiling widely. "I…I can't believe it," he stammered. "This is so…wow."

"They look healthy too," Jane noted with a reassuring smile. "Everything looks perfect. Why don't I give you two a couple minutes alone?"

"Thanks," Derek nodded, as he and Addison watched Jane's retreating form. "So," he began, once Jane had left the room. "This was unexpected."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Derek was thrilled at the thought of having another baby with Addison. But twins – this was beyond his wildest dreams. But he also knew that even though he was deliriously happy, Addison had her reservations. Three kids were never part of her plan. She had made that abundantly clear over the years.

"_Mommy, Mommy, Mommy," a frustrated little voice called out; and Derek and Addison turned to see their five-year-old niece, Heather, tugging at Derek's sister Kathleen's pant leg, trying to get her mother's attention._

"_What's wrong, Heather?" Kathleen asked her daughter, crouching down to her level._

"_Matthew and Jenny won't let me play with them," Heather pouted. "They never let me play with them."_

_Kathleen sighed, and turned her attention to Addison and Derek. "Sorry about this," she apologized. "I should probably go deal with this before my kids start World War III. Come on, Heather," she said, standing up and taking her daughter by the hand._

_Addison and Derek watched Kathleen and Heather leave the room before turning to each other. "See," Addison began, "this is exactly why I would never want to have more than two kids. Somebody always gets left out. Someone always gets ganged up on. And I don't want that for our kids."_

_Derek met his fiancée's eyes and smiled. Sure, they had discussed having kids before, but this was the first time they'd ever had such a concrete conversation about it._

"_I don't know," Derek chuckled, giving Addison a teasing smile. "I grew up with four other siblings. It wasn't bad."_

"_Yeah, but kids are meaner nowadays," Addison pointed out. "Just look at Kathleen's kids. I mean, I love them, but poor Heather is always getting left out."_

"_Our kids wouldn't be mean," Derek smiled, nudging his fiancée playfully. "But, lucky for you, I think two kids is the perfect number, so I'm all for having two kids."_

_Addison locked eyes with Derek. "Really?" she asked, a smile spreading across her face._

"_Yeah," Derek said softly. "I think two kids sound perfect." _

"Twins don't run in your family, do they?" Addison asked, ripping Derek from his thoughts and bringing him back to reality.

Derek shook his head. "No. Not that I know of, at least."

"Yeah," Addison muttered thoughtfully. "I don't think that they run in my family either."

"I mean, you are over forty," Derek said lightly. "You know that that drastically increases the chance of multiples."

"I do know that," Addison nodded, meeting Derek's eyes. "But how did you-"

"Addie, I did go to med. school," Derek cut in with a chuckle. "Not to mention, I've spent the last third of my life married to a world-class neonatal surgeon. I'm bound to learn some things about your specialty along the way."

"I guess," Addison conceded with a sigh. "It's just-"

"I know," Derek nodded, rubbing Addison's arm reassuringly. "Three kids wasn't part of the plan."

"And it's not that I'm not happy," Addison admitted. "Because I am. I really am happy. It's just, with three kids, I worry that one of them is always going to be left out."

"It won't happen," Derek insisted. "Have you met our daughter? She's without a doubt the most amazing kid I've ever met. There's no way that Willa would ever leave one of her siblings out."

"What if she's the one who gets ganged up on or left out?" Addison asked in concern. "You realize that twins have a special bond, right?"

"Again, have you met our daughter?" Derek chuckled. "I can't imagine the twins ever wanting to leave their big sister out. And, if for some reason they do, Willa's your carbon copy…do you really think she'd stand for something like that?"

Addison couldn't help smiling at Derek's description of their daughter. "I guess you're right," she admitted, as she allowed her husband's words to sink in.

"I am right," Derek insisted. "And I, I know that three kids wasn't part of the plan…but if you think about it, neither was Willa. And you and I both know that she's the best thing that ever happened to us."

"She is," Addison agreed. "She's better than anything we could have ever planned for."

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "And she's going to be such a good big sister."

Addison nodded. Derek was right. Willa was going to be an amazing big sister and, suddenly, Addison's worries that one of her children would be left out or get ganged up on seemed silly. Willa wouldn't let that happen. And there was no way in hell that she and Derek would let that happen.

"Honey," Derek prodded, when he noticed a slight smile grace his wife's features. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Addison nodded. "Everything's okay." She leaned in and kissed her husband softly. "Actually, you know what," she said, when they broke apart. "Everything isn't okay. Everything's good." She met Derek's eyes and smiled widely. "Everything's really good."

xxxxx

"Hey, do you have a second?" Mark asked, as he lightly knocked on Derek's office door.

Derek looked up from his paperwork and smiled. "Sure, come on in."

"Thanks," Mark grinned, as he sat down across from Derek. "Hey, did you get a haircut? Your hair looks great."

"Mark," Derek chided. "Spare me the compliments. Whatever it is, just tell me."

"Fair enough," Mark chuckled, before quickly growing serious. "Will you be my best man?"

A wide smile spread across Derek's face. "Of course I will. I mean, you were my best man twice, and…of course I will."

"You know, I never thought I'd be asking you that question," Mark admitted.

"To be honest, I didn't think you ever would either," Derek laughed. "But you and Lexie are great together."

"We are, aren't we?" Mark agreed.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "Hey, uh, while I have you in here…" Derek trailed off, reaching into the pocket of his lab coat and removing a grainy ultrasound picture of his twins. "I want to show you this," he said, handing the picture to Mark, unable to keep the smile off his face.

Mark looked down at the ultrasound picture that Derek had handed him and smiled. "Yours?" he asked, knowing how desperately Derek and Addison wanted another baby.

"Well, Addison's," Derek chuckled. "But, yeah."

"Oh my God," Mark grinned, crossing the desk, and hugging Derek tightly. "Congratulations. That's such good news."

"Yeah," Derek agreed, smiling widely. "It's still early, so we're not telling very many people yet. You can tell Lexie, of course. And Addie's telling Alex and Izzie. But, after what happened the last time, we want to keep things quiet for a while."

"That's understandable," Mark nodded solemnly. "But, Derek," he said, brightening, "this is such good news. You're having another baby."

"Wow, you really were bad at your O.B. rotation, weren't you?" Derek chuckled.

"Hey, I don't remember you being particularly standout either," Mark defended. "If it wasn't for Addison-"

"Look at the ultrasound," Derek instructed.

"Derek, it's pretty grainy," Mark said, as he studied the ultrasound picture in his hand.

"Just look closely," Derek insisted.

"Derek I…wait a minute," Mark said, cutting himself off. "Is that…two babies?"

Derek nodded, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Twins?" Mark asked in disbelief. "You and Addie are having twins?"

"Yeah," Derek smiled. "We are."

"That's insane," Mark grinned.

"I know," Derek agreed. "I thought that only celebrities had twins…not ordinary people like me and Addison."

"Well, I'd hardly call you two ordinary," Mark chuckled. "You two are pretty much celebrities in the medical world…as am I, of course. But, wait," he said, suddenly growing serious. "Doesn't Addison have that weird thing against having more than two kids?" He had phrased it as a question, but Mark had been to enough Shepherd family gatherings, over the years, to know Addison's stance on the matter.

"She came around pretty quickly," Derek chuckled. "We're both very happy."

"Well, you should be," Mark smiled. "This is such good news. Hey, are you doing anything tonight? Lexie's working late. We should grab a drink at Joe's to celebrate."

Derek nodded. "That sounds good. Addie's taking Willa shopping today, after work, for a dress to wear to your engagement party. So, yeah, I'm free, and a drink sounds good."

"Perfect," Mark grinned. "We have a lot to celebrate."

xxxxx

"Your daughter is precious," rang out a voice behind Addison. She and Willa were in a children's clothing boutique, and Willa and Addison had come out of the fitting room and onto the main floor to get a better look at the dress that Willa was trying on.

Addison turned to the saleswoman, who had walked up next to her. "Thank you," she smiled.

She looked back at her daughter. The saleswoman wasn't wrong. Willa looked truly adorable in the navy, drop-waist, pleated dress that she was wearing.

"She's such a little grown-up too," the saleswoman complimented, as she and Addison continued to watch Willa, who was admiring the dress she was trying on in the store's full-length mirror.

"She is," Addison agreed with a smile. "I always say that she's three going on thirty."

"Well, she really is adorable," the saleswoman nodded. "I'm pretty sure that the dress she's wearing right now was made for her, but if you need anything else, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay," Addison smiled, turning her attention back to her daughter, as the saleswoman walked away.

"Pretty dress," Willa murmured, as she studied her reflection in the mirror.

"Pretty girl," Addison smiled, running her hand through her daughter's dark brown hair. "I think this is the dress, Willa. What do you think?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded.

"Okay, let's get you changed out of this dress, and Mommy will buy it for you. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah," Willa smiled, as she and Addison walked back to the fitting room. "Thank you, Mommy."

Addison pressed a kiss to Willa's temple, and smiled. Dress shopping. It was one of the many things she loved about having a daughter. And, in her three short years, Willa had proven to be an excellent shopping partner. Of course Derek had predicted that early on.

"_Okay, not that this was ever up for debate," Derek chuckled, as he bounced his eleven-month-old daughter in his arms, "but Willa is definitely your daughter. She was so fussy this morning, and then the second that we got to the mall, she calmed down completely."_

_Addison smiled, as she ran her hand over a cream dress in Willa's size. "What do you think about this dress for Willa's first birthday?" she asked her husband._

"_I like it," Derek nodded. "I mean, we pretty much have the cutest baby ever. She's going to look adorable in anything…but I do like that dress. Hey, wait, what do you think of this dress?" he asked, gesturing towards a tiny silver dress. "You can tell me if you hate it," he said after a moment._

"_I don't hate it," Addison smiled. "I like it a lot, actually."_

"_Really?" Derek asked in surprise._

"_Really," Addison nodded._

"_As much as the dress you chose?" Derek teased._

"_Well, maybe not that much," Addison laughed. "But I do like it."_

"_You know, this store is pretty cute," Derek admitted, as he looked around the boutique._

"_I never pegged you as the type to get all gaga over baby clothes," Addison chuckled. "I mean, most men don't."_

_Derek shrugged. "I don't know. With the right woman and the right baby…" he trailed off, meeting Addison's eyes. "Hey, it looks like Willa is totally in her element, here," Derek chuckled, motioning towards their daughter, whose eyes were wide in delight as she looked around the boutique incredulously. He pressed a gentle kiss to his daughter's temple and smiled. "You're going to be Mommy's little shopping partner, aren't you?"_

Derek had been completely right. Addison loved taking Willa shopping. And as she stood in the fitting room with her daughter, Addison couldn't help getting a little teary eyed as she imagined going dress shopping with her daughter for other important dresses down the road. A flower girl dress for Mark and Lexie's wedding in the near future. A dress for Willa's first school dance in the not so near future. A prom dress in the very distant future. And, one day, a wedding dress.

"Mommy," Willa said softly, ripping Addison from her thoughts. "Mommy sad?"

"I'm okay," Addison reassured her daughter, as she reached into her purse, retrieved a tissue, and carefully dabbed at her moist eyes. Hormones were clearly to blame for this she decided.

"Really?" Willa asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah," Addison nodded, touched by her daughter's compassion. "Hey, what should we do next?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. "We could get frozen yogurt…or we could get hot chocolate from Starbucks."

Willa looked thoughtful, as she weighed her options carefully. "New shoes for Mommy," she suggested.

Addison smiled. "You think Mommy needs new shoes?" she asked, as she helped Willa out of her dress, and back into the clothes that she had been wearing earlier in the day.

"Yeah," Willa nodded, taking her mother's hand, as they walked up to the cash register to pay for Willa's new dress.

"That sounds like a pretty good idea," Addison admitted. "What kind of shoes should Mommy buy?"

"Heels," Willa answered automatically; and Addison couldn't resist smiling at that. She knew her heel-wearing days were numbered; so why not buy one more pair while she could still wear them?

"Okay," she agreed, bending down to pick Willa up. Sure, Willa could technically walk on her own, but there was a part of Addison that wanted to carry her daughter around while she still could. Like her heel-wearing days, her days of being able to carry Willa around were also dwindling. She turned to her daughter and smiled. "You ready?"

Willa nodded, and clutched her mother tightly.

"Okay," Addison smiled. "Let's buy some heels."

xxxxx

"I feel like my tan is completely gone," Izzie complained, as looked down at her bare arms. "This dress would look so much better with my honeymoon tan."

Addison couldn't help laughing at her friend's complaint; Izzie looked picture-perfect in the red, sleeveless dress she was wearing to Mark and Lexie's engagement party. "First of all," Addison chuckled, "I'm pretty sure you don't need me to tell you how incredible you look. But I will…you look incredible. And your honeymoon was over a month ago," she added lightly. "And it's not like you've had much time to work on it lately….you know, between work and living in Seattle."

"I know," Izzie sighed. "It's just, I miss my post-honeymoon glow."

"I don't know," Addison chuckled. "I'm pretty sure your post-honeymoon glow had nothing to do with your tan."

"Funny," Izzie smirked. "But not entirely wrong. But speaking about glowing…" Izzie trailed off, gesturing towards Addison. "You definitely-"

"Oh, shut up," Addison interrupted with a chuckle. "I spent the better part of today hugging a toilet. The only glowing that's happening around here is a result of me being paler than usual."

"So the morning sickness is hitting you hard?" Izzie asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," Addison nodded. "And it tends to be worse with twins, so it looks like I'm in for a rough couple of months."

Izzie nodded empathetically. "So when are you and Derek planning on telling Willa?"

Addison bit her lip. "We're going to wait until I'm out of the first trimester. You know, just in case…" she trailed off, doing her best not to think about her previous miscarriage.

"So, this is a great party," Izzie grinned, quickly changing the topic of conversation, when she sensed Addison's discomfort.

"Thanks," Addison smiled, as she looked around the room. She and Derek had offered to throw Mark and Lexie an engagement party at their house and, from the looks of it, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"Hey," Derek smiled, as he and Alex walked over to join Addison and Izzie.

"Hey," Addison smiled. "I was wondering where you guys were."

"Willa was tired," Derek explained, "so Alex and I put her to bed."

"Oh," Addison nodded. "Did she want me to come up and say goodnight to her?" Whenever their work schedules allowed, Derek and Addison tried to put Willa to bed together at night. And, truth be told, it was something that Addison had come to enjoy as much as her daughter did.

"I told her you'd be up in a little while to give her a kiss goodnight," Derek reassured his wife. "I think she was pretty excited though…it's not every night she gets a bedtime story from Uncle Alex."

Addison gave Alex a warm smile. "What'd you read to her?"

"Read to her?" Alex scoffed. "This clown," he said, gesturing towards Derek, "told me that Willa likes it when you make up your own bedtime stories."

"You made up a bedtime story?" Izzie laughed, placing a hand on her husband's bicep.

"Not a good one," Alex chuckled.

"Oh, please, Willa loved it," Derek insisted. "And I loved seeing you squirm."

"Remind me, why am I friends with you?" Alex teased.

"Well, technically, you seem to be better friends with my wife," Derek laughed. "I'm just an added bonus. And I guess it doesn't hurt that I throw great engagement parties."

"Speaking of which," Izzie cut in. "Has anyone seen Mark or Lexie lately? I mean, this _is _their engagement party. I feel like I haven't seen them all night."

"If I know Mark," Derek chuckled, "he and Lexie are probably going at it in one of our bathrooms or guest bedrooms or something."

"That's an image I could have lived without," Izzie chuckled.

"What is?" Mark asked, as he and Lexie joined the group, flutes of champagne in both of their hands.

"Oh, uh, nothing, nothing," Izzie stammered. "Where have you two been anyway?"

"You know what," Derek cut in before Mark could answer. "It's actually probably better if you don't tell us."

"Okay," Mark shrugged innocently.

"Hey, thanks again for throwing us this party," Lexie said, shooting Addison and Derek an appreciative smile.

"Oh, please, we're happy to do this," Addison insisted.

"We really are," Derek agreed. "And, hey, we haven't toasted your engagement tonight," he smiled, raising his champagne flute.

"Well, you know I'd never say no to a toast in my honor," Mark winked.

Derek shot his best friend an amused smile, before raising his champagne flute. "Congrats you two," he toasted; and everyone tapped their glasses against his.

"And while we're toasting good news," Mark smiled, looking at Addison and Derek. "I know tonight's supposed to be about me and Lexie, but we're happy to share, so cong-"

"Let's not toast us just yet," Addison cut in uncomfortably. "I…I…we're excited….really. We're just…we should probably hold off on celebrating anything just yet. Besides," she added with forced cheerfulness, "let's keep tonight about you two."

Mark nodded sympathetically. He knew that Addison and Derek were ecstatic about the twins. But he also knew that they were cautiously excited. He knew that another miscarriage was a very real fear for them, and that they didn't want to get their hopes up only to have them slashed again.

"Okay," he grinned, determined to take the unwanted attention off Derek and Addison. "In that case, we really should toast me and Lexie again."

xxxxx

Addison had just finished giving her sleeping daughter a kiss goodnight when she felt Derek's arms around her waist.

"Hey," she whispered in surprise. "Why aren't you downstairs at the engagement party with everyone else?"

"I could ask you this same question."

"I was kissing our daughter goodnight," Addison defended. "And I might have needed to get away from everything for a minute," she admitted reluctantly.

Derek smiled. "Come with me," he said, taking Addison by the hand, and leading her into their bedroom.

"Honey, we really should get back down-"

"It will only take a second," Derek insisted, leading her to their bed. He went over to the nightstand, and retrieved two glasses of water. "Here," he said, handing her a glass.

Addison accepted the glass of water, and looked at her husband skeptically.

"Toast our good news with me," Derek said softly.

"Der."

"I know you're worried," Derek started. "I am too. But, Addie, right now, everything's fine. We're having twins, and that calls for a celebration…or at the very least a water toast."

Addison smiled as she let her husband's words sink in. He was right. "Okay," she agreed. "But under one condition."

"Name it," Derek nodded.

"When I make it past the first trimester, we go out and celebrate…you know, nice dinner, dancing, dessert, sex…the works."

A wide smile spread across Derek's face. "I can't wait for that," he grinned. "But, until then…" he trailed off, holding up his glass of water. He met Addison's eyes and smiled. "To our twins," he said softly, raising his glass.

Addison lightly tapped her own glass against her husband's glass, and smiled. "To our family."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I hope everyone's year is off to a good start! I was really tempted to split this chapter into two smaller chapters, but I feel like this story has already had a lot of cliffhangers, and it's been a while since I updated, so I decided on a longer chapter. I hope you like it and, as always, thanks so much for reading! :)

* * *

"So, I made a reservation for Friday night," Derek smiled, as he walked into Addison's office.

Addison looked up from her paperwork and met her husband's eyes; and Derek immediately noticed that Addison's eyes looked red and puffy.

"Addie," he asked in concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Addison lied.

"Addie."

"I'm fine, Derek. Seriously."

Derek looked at his wife closely. She didn't look fine. "Addison, if there's something wrong…we don't…we don't have to go out to dinner."

"No, dinner on Friday sounds perfect," Addison went on with forced cheerfulness. "I mean, I'll officially be out of the first trimester, and we should celebrate."

"But you don't seem happy," Derek noted. He was so happy he could burst. But Addison looked sad, and he couldn't figure out why.

"I'm happy," Addison insisted. "I just, I'll be happier once we make it to Friday."

"Addison if something-"

"I'm fine," Addison interrupted. She wasn't fine. But she didn't want her husband to know that she wasn't fine.

"Are you sure?" Derek asked. "Because you can tell me."

"I'm sure," Addison insisted, getting out of her seat, walking over to her husband, and kissing him deeply. "There's nothing to worry about."

xxxxx

"So you're sure you're okay with having Willa stay over, this Friday?" Derek asked Izzie as they scrubbed in together.

"Are you kidding me?" Izzie grinned. "Alex and I love Willa. We can't wait to have her spend the night. I've already got the whole evening planned. We're gonna bake cookies, do a craft I found on-line. I'll rent a DVD. We'll order pizza and ice cream. Maybe at-home manicures and pedicures."

"You realize she's only spending one night, right?" Derek chuckled. "And she's three. She goes to bed early. You'll never get all of that done…not even half of it."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure that Willa's entertained," Izzie defended. "So," she went on with a smile, "you and Addison must be excited about having the night to yourselves on Friday."

Derek sighed heavily. "I'm excited," he nodded. "But Addison…" he trailed off. "Has she…has she said anything to you?"

"What do you mean?" Izzie asked in confusion.

"Something's wrong," Derek explained. "I'm sure that something's wrong…I've spent over a third of my life with her…I know when something's wrong. But she's shutting me out, and I don't know why. So I was wondering if maybe she said something to you."

Izzie shook her head apologetically. "She hasn't said anything to me. Maybe she's just having a stressful day or something."

"Maybe," Derek shrugged. "But something tells me that's not it."

xxxxx

"Uncle Mark," Willa smiled, as she toddled over to her uncle, and wrapped her tiny arms around Mark's legs.

"Hey, Little Buddy," Mark grinned, picking his niece up and cuddling her close. "Did you have a good day at school?"

Willa nodded. "Mommy and Daddy?" she asked, looking around her nursery school classroom.

"Mommy and Daddy are both in surgery, right now," Mark explained pressing a kiss to his niece's forehead. "So, I'm here to pick you up from nursery school today."

"Oh," Willa nodded. "Beautiful day to save lives."

"Did Daddy teach you that?" Mark chuckled.

Willa nodded.

Mark shook his head in amusement. "Man, your siblings are going to have to be pretty cute to keep up with you," he chuckled to himself. He turned to his niece. "Should we get your things from your cubby and go back to the hospital?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded.

"Okay," Mark smiled, putting Willa down. "You lead the way."

Mark was in the middle of helping Willa put on her tiny Burberry jacket when Willa's teacher approached them.

"It's so nice of you to take such an interest in your niece like that," she complimented Mark. "It's good for children to have several positive adult role models during their formative years."

"Oh, uh," Mark stuttered, unsure how to respond to the compliment he had just received. He wasn't exactly an expert on child raising or childhood development, and the last thing he wanted to do, right now, was get into a conversation about something he knew almost nothing about.

"And you can definitely tell that Willa's benefiting from it," the teacher continued. "She's such a happy, well-adjusted child."

"She's pretty much the best kid ever," Mark grinned.

"She's lucky to have an uncle like you. It's Mark, right?" the teacher asked.

"Uh, yeah," Mark nodded. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to remember your name, Ms…"

"Ms. Harris," the teacher filled in. "But, please, call me Maureen."

"Maureen," Mark smiled. "Well, thank you for the compliment."

"So, uh, I never do this," Maureen began hesitantly. "But you seem like a really great guy, and I, I, uh, I was kind of wondering if you were free Friday night."

"Oh, hey, wow, that's…that's really flattering," Mark began. "But I'm engaged...happily engaged."

"To Aunt Lexie," Willa filled in with a smile.

"Yes, thank you Willa," chuckled in embarrassment.

"Welcome," Willa smiled.

"Oh, uh, wow, this is incredibly embarrassing," Maureen stuttered, turning bright red. "I, uh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I, uh-"

"It's fine," Mark insisted. "Really."

"Yeah, okay, but, still, I'm sorry. That was inappropriate, and incredibly unprofessional."

"Really, it's fine," Mark insisted. "But, look, you have to promise me that you're not going to treat Willa any differently because of this…because then this won't be fine."

"I wouldn't dream of treating her differently because of this," Maureen breathed. "I just, I'm sorry. Really."

"Hey, I'm used to it," Mark chuckled cockily, doing his best to lighten the mood. "What do you say we just forget it ever happened?"

"I'd like that," Maureen said.

"Good," Mark nodded. He turned to Willa and smiled. "Ready to go, Little Buddy?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded.

"Say goodbye to Maur…Ms. Harris."

"Bye," Willa waved, as Mark took the little girl's other hand, and led her to the car.

"So, how much of that conversation did you understand?" Mark asked his niece, as he put her in her car seat.

Willa shrugged. "Like it when you come to school."

"I like coming to your school too," Mark laughed, as he slid into the driver's seat. "Although Uncle Mark could definitely use a drink right about now," he muttered.

"Juice box?" Willa offered, gesturing towards her bag.

"Got anything stronger in there?" Mark chuckled.

"I'll tell you what," Mark laughed, when Willa met his question with confused silence. "When we get back to the hospital daycare, how about you and I sit down together, and have a couple of juice boxes? Does that sound like a deal, Little Buddy?"

"Deal," Willa agreed happily.

"Good," Mark smiled. "I hope you have apple juice."

xxxxx

"Hey," Mark said, lightly knocking on Derek's office door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Derek nodded, gesturing to the seat across from him. "Hey, have you spoken to Addison recently?" he asked as Mark sat down.

"Not today," Mark said. "But, Derek, there's something I need to tell you…well, you and Addison, actually. But I thought I should come to you first."

"You're not calling off your engagement, are you?"

"What? No," Mark exclaimed. "No. It's just, uh, have I mentioned how much I like your cologne? What scent are you wearing these days?"

"Mark," Derek scolded.

"Fine," Mark sighed. "I, uh, it's just…Willa's teacher was hitting on me today. I told her I was engaged and she immediately stopped. I just thought you should know…you know, just in case-"

"Oh, this is bad," Derek breathed. "This is really bad."

"I thought I handled it well," Mark disagreed. "And I've really grown. Had this happened a couple of years ago, I would have nailed her, no questions asked. But now-"

"This is one of the best nursery schools in the country," Derek groaned. "And now we're going to have to find somewhere else. This is not-"

"It just goes to show how much Lexie means to me," Mark cut in. "I really feel like I-"

"And Addison is going to flip out," Derek interrupted. "She's going to say that this was just like the time that The Captain screwed her nanny, and they had to get rid of her because it was just too awkward for everyone."

"But I didn't screw Willa's nursery school teacher," Mark pointed out.

"But it's going to be awkward," Derek disagreed.

"I don't think so," Mark insisted. "Sure, it was a little uncomfortable, but we handled it like adults. I told her that as long as she doesn't treat Willa any differently, we could forget that the whole thing even happened. I really do think everything's going to be okay."

"So, you didn't sleep with her?" Derek asked hesitantly.

"Derek."

"Just checking," Derek chuckled. "And you have no plans to sleep with her?" he asked, growing serious.

Mark shook his head. "No. Derek, I love Lexie. I'm committed to Lexie."

"And you honestly don't think that this teacher is going to treat Willa any differently?" Derek asked earnestly.

"I honestly don't," Mark promised.

"Okay," Derek breathed. "I guess there's not much more we can do. Thanks for letting me know."

"So…we're good?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "We're good."

"Good," Mark grinned. "Now that we've gotten past that, can we please discuss how much I've grown?"

Derek shook his head in amusement before growing serious. "Lexie's a lucky woman."

xxxxx

"So, um, is everything okay with you?" Alex asked, as he and Addison scrubbed out together.

"Oh, uh," Addison stuttered in surprise. "Yeah, yeah, everything's good. I'm all good."

"Okay, that's not even remotely convincing," Alex retorted.

Addison rolled her eyes at Alex and silently cursed his perceptiveness. "I'm okay," she said as convincingly as she could. I just…I've got to go," she said, turning off her faucet, and quickly drying her hands.

"Hey, Addison," Alex called out, just as she was about to leave the scrub room.

"Yeah," Addison said, turning to face Alex.

"If you need to talk…"

"I know," Addison nodded. "Thank you."

Alex sighed heavily as he watched Addison's retreating form, and when he exited the scrub room, a few minutes later, he nearly collided with Derek, who was making his way down the hospital hallway.

"Hey, Karev," Derek said, as Alex did his best to move out of Derek's way. "Have you seen Addison lately?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "We just scrubbed out together. Is she okay?"

Derek ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he admitted. "I mean, I know something's wrong, but she won't tell me what. Did she mention anything to you?"

Alex shook his head. "No. But, you're right, something's definitely wrong."

"Do you…do you know where she went?" Derek asked.

"If I had to guess," Alex began hesitantly, "I'd say she's probably in the bathroom. I don't know how to say this without sounding creepy, but she's spent a fair bit of time in there today."

"Morning sickness?" Derek wondered aloud.

"Could be," Alex shrugged.

"I should go find her," Derek said. "Thanks, Karev."

xxxxx

Addison raced into the women's bathroom for what felt like the thousandth time that day, and immediately rushed into an unoccupied stall. She quickly pulled down her scrub pants and her panties, her heart pounding, as she looked down at the panty-liner that had put in her panties earlier that morning, when she first noticed she was bleeding.

"Shit," she breathed, noting that there was more blood on her panty-liner than there had been the last time she'd checked. "Damn it."

"Addison," she heard her husband's voice call out. "Addie."

Addison choked back a sob, not wanting to worry Derek. The situation was out of their hands, and there wasn't much that either of them could do about it, so it didn't seem fair to worry him.

"Addie, I know you're in there," Derek called out. "I see your navy blue crocs."

Addison pulled up her scrub pants, before slowly opening the door to her bathroom stall.

"Addie," Derek said gently, rushing toward her.

"I'm fine," Addison insisted, as she felt her husband's arms wrap around her.

"Addie, please," Derek begged. "Whatever it is…"

Addison took a step back, so she could meet her husband's eyes. And as she took in the look of worry and fear in them, she immediately felt guilty. There was trying to protect Derek, and there was scaring the shit out of him – and she had crossed that line.

"Everything's okay," she said softly, rubbing her husband's arm reassuringly. "I just, I woke up this morning, and noticed I was bleeding and-"

"Addison," Derek choked out, feeling his throat go dry.

"It's not the same type of bleeding as the last time," Addison explained gently. "I called Jane, this morning, and I have an appointment with her in an hour."

"I'll go with you," Derek insisted, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Derek, you have a consult."

"I'll push it back," Derek said. "Addison, this isn't up for debate."

"Okay," Addison nodded; a slight smile graced her features, as she thought about how far she and Derek had come since their unhappy days in New York.

"So, uh, you don't think you're miscarrying?" Derek asked hesitantly.

Addison shook her head. "Honestly, I don't. Like I said, it's not the same type of bleeding as last time. If I were my doctor, I would guess that the bleeding is probably being caused by cervical changes…sometimes that causes bleeding in the late first or early second trimester. But there's a reason that doctors aren't their own doctors," Addison sighed. "And any type of bleeding is still scary."

"Addison, I wish you would have told me," Derek said softly, pulling his wife back into his arms.

Addison nodded. "I, uh, I didn't want you to worry. After everything that happened last time, I didn't want to scare you unnecessarily. I just, I didn't want to worry you…especially if there wasn't anything you could really do about it."

"I could have been there for you," Derek murmured against his wife's hair. "I mean, today couldn't have been easy on you. You shouldn't have had to go through that alone. And I get that you want to protect me, but we're Derek and Addison…we get through things together."

"I know," Addison whispered, wrapping her arms around her husband and kissing him softly. "Thank you," she murmured against his lips.

"For what?" Derek asked, pulling away slightly.

"For being here," Addison said.

Derek leaned in and kissed her temple. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he said wrapping his arms around her again; and Addison lingered in her husband's embrace.

"I'm scared, Derek," she whispered, after a moment.

Derek swallowed hard, doing his best to be strong for his wife. "I know," he said softly, gently stroking Addison's hair. "I'm scared too."

xxxxx

"Okay, so let's take a look," Jane said, as she began the ultrasound.

Derek immediately tightened his grip on Addison's hand, swallowing hard when he noticed how limp her hand felt in his – a clear sign of just how worried she was. He stroked her hand reassuringly before placing a few kisses on it, doing his best to calm both of their nerves.

"And we have two strong heartbeats," Jane smiled, as Addison let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "They both look very healthy," Jane went on, tilting the screen so that Addison and Derek could get a better look at their twins.

Derek split his attention between the images on the screen and his wife, who was studying the screen closely. "Addie," he prodded. Sure, he knew that Jane was a good doctor, but Addison was the best. And he knew he wouldn't feel better until Addison assured him that everything was okay.

Addison met her husband's eyes and smiled. "They look good, Der."

"And the bleeding…" Derek trailed off.

"That's most likely being caused by changes in the cervix," Jane explained. "At this stage in pregnancy, there's increased blood flow to the cervix, and this causes bleeding in some women."

"But Addison's okay, right?" Derek asked. "And the babies, they're okay."

Jane nodded. "This type of bleeding is actually fairly common in women expecting multiples, and really isn't cause for concern. But we did run Addison's blood just to be on the safe side."

"Okay," Derek breathed, feeling the knots in his stomach loosen at the good news.

"Why don't I give you two a few minutes alone," Jane smiled, making her way towards the door.

As soon as Jane left the room, Derek immediately wrapped his arms around his wife. "I'm so happy," he whispered. He was about to say more, when he felt hot tears seeping through his scrub top.

"Addie," he said, rubbing his wife's back gently. "Hey, Addie, you heard Jane. Everything's going to be okay."

"I know," Addison nodded, slightly pulling away from her husband, and meeting his eyes. "I just, I'm so, so relieved." She bit her lip, doing her best to keep her emotions at bay. But she couldn't help it – the weight of the day and all the worries and fears that had come along with it were crashing down on her…and crashing down hard.

And as she struggled against her tears, she looked into her husband's eyes, and she knew she didn't have to explain anything to him. He understood her in a way that nobody else ever could. And as Derek wrapped his arms around her reassuringly, Addison breathed a sigh of relief, as she finally allowed herself to begin to relax for the first time that day.

xxxxx

"So, how did you get dinner reservations at a place like this so last minute?" Lexie asked Mark as she took as sip of her wine.

"This is actually Derek and Addison's reservation," Mark explained. "But Derek came to me, this morning, and told me that he and Addison decided that they wanted to do something a little more low-key tonight, so he asked if we wanted their reservation."

"We have really great friends," Lexie smiled.

"The best," Mark agreed.

"So, um, changing the subject a little," Lexie laughed, "how do you feel about a spring wedding?"

"A spring wedding?" Mark asked.

"Do you not like the idea?" Lexie asked worriedly. "Because I'm not married to it. I just thought that with the flowers and the weather, it might be-"

"I love the idea," Mark smiled. "I think a spring wedding sounds perfect."

xxxxx

"Hey, I'm home," Izzie called out, as she walked into her and Alex's house. "And I brought pizza. Alex…Willa," she called out when she didn't get a response. She quickly made her way through the house in search of them, and when she reached the living room, she couldn't help smiling at the scene in front of her. Alex was sitting on the couch with Willa on his lap; and the two of them were watching _The Little Mermaid_ and eating Crispy Puffs cereal directly from the box. Ordinarily she'd be angry at her husband for spoiling Willa's appetite so close to dinner, but Alex and Willa looked so adorable together, she couldn't bring herself to be mad.

"Hey," she smiled. "What are you two watching?"

"Little Mermaid," Willa answered.

"It's Willa's favorite," Alex explained, meeting his wife's eyes. He stuck his hand into the box of Crispy Puffs, pulled out a handful of cereal, and extended his hand towards Willa.

"Thank you," Willa smiled, as she carefully picked out the marshmallows.

"Wow, Uncle Alex lets you pick out the marshmallows," Izzie smiled. "He must really love you, Willa. He doesn't let just anyone pick out the marshmallows."

Willa smiled and met Izzie's eyes. "They're the best part," she insisted, cuddling up against Alex.

Izzie smiled, as she watched her husband press a gentle kiss to Willa's forehead and cuddle the little girl closer. And even though she knew their pizza was getting cold, she didn't care. She set the pizza down on the coffee table, before sitting down next to Alex and Willa, holding both of them close, as the three of them watched the rest of the movie, and ate Crispy Puffs together. They could always reheat the pizza later.

xxxxx

"So, you're sure you're not upset that we're not going to a fancy restaurant tonight?" Addison asked Derek, as she placed a Chinese takeout carton on their kitchen table.

Derek looked at his wife and smiled. "Are you kidding me? We could be at your parents' place, and I'd still be happy. We got past that scare earlier this week, and we're officially in the second trimester…I could care less where we celebrate."

Addison smiled at her husband's words, as she and Derek sat down together. "So, I was thinking," she began hesitantly. "We should probably start coming up with names for the babies."

Derek looked at his wife in confusion. "But we don't know if they're boys or girls yet, so won't that be a little tough? I mean, I guess we could come up with four names so we're prepared, but-"

"That's not what I meant," Addison explained. "I don't want to call them 'the twins.' It makes it sound like they're one person. And I want them to have their own distinct identities from the very start, so I was thinking we could give them nicknames…you know, like how we called Willa Baby Shep before she was born."

"Oh," Derek nodded. "Yeah, I like that."

"But no tacky twin nicknames," Addison chuckled.

Derek looked at his wife questioningly.

Addison sighed. "You wouldn't believe how many patients I have who call their twins things like Frick and Frack or Mac and Cheese. I don't want that."

"Okay," Derek nodded. "And Twin A and Twin B are out."

"Right," Addison agreed. "But I kind of like the idea of coordinated names," she admitted. "Hey, what do you think about Dolce and Gabbana?"

"As a brand? Or as a nickname for our twins?" Derek asked. "Because if you're asking about the brand, I think I own a couple of their shirts, and they're fine, I guess. But if you're suggesting it as a nickname for the babies, then absolutely not."

"It's kind of cute," Addison defended.

"Addison, I'm not nicknaming my unborn sons Dolce or Gabbana. They'd never forgive me."

"They might be girls," Addison pointed out. "Or a boy and a girl."

"Fine," Derek conceded. "But nobody, girl or boy, should be nicknamed Gabbana."

"Okay, point taken," Addison laughed.

"Hey, how about Monty and Shep?" Derek asked after a moment.

Addison raised an eyebrow. "Monty and Shep?"

"Yeah," Derek grinned. "Monty after your maiden name. And Shep after our-"

"I get the origins of the nicknames," Addison cut in with a chuckle. "But I can't decide if I like them."

"I mean, they're better than Dolce and Gabbana," Derek teased.

"Monty and Shep," Addison repeated, testing out the names. "I think I like it," she admitted.

"They're perfect," Derek agreed. "And I'll even let you choose which name to give to which twin."

"Okay," Addison nodded. "I guess, uh, Baby A can be Monty, and Baby B will be Shep."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, giving Addison a soft smile. "That sounds right."

He promptly pulled Addison onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her. And as he held her close, he couldn't help remembering something that O'Malley had said to him a few years earlier.

"_You've lived. You've done things. And you've got the hair, and the hot wife, and the beautiful ex-mistress who pines for you…My point is you've lived!"_

George had gotten it all wrong. Derek hadn't lived…not really. But this – what he was doing right now – this was living. He still had the hair and the hot wife, who he now loved and appreciated more than anything. He had lost the ex-mistress, and had gained the most precious little girl ever. And now he had twins – Monty and Shep – on the way. He didn't know what he was doing before, but it certainly wasn't living. Because his life right now – the life that he and Addison had made together – that was him living. His life before didn't even come close.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you so much for the kind feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far! I really appreciate it. I hope you like this chapter and, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"Scrubs again?" Willa asked in confusion, as she sat on Addison and Derek's bed, while Addison and Derek got ready for the day.

Addison looked down at her navy scrubs and chuckled. Willa had grown accustomed to seeing Addison leave for work in dresses and pencil skirts; but, lately, Addison had been leaving for work in her scrubs, figuring that they were a good intermediary step between her regular clothes and the maternity wear that she was reluctant to transition into.

"Mommy has an early surgery," Addison told her daughter with a smile. "So, yes, scrubs again."

"You know, we're going to have to tell her eventually," Derek smirked, coming up behind Addison and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Besides, I think she's already on to us."

"Derek, she doesn't have the slightest clue," Addison laughed, turning in her husband's arms and meeting his eyes. "What she just said was her expressing her disappointment in her mother's wardrobe choices lately. And quite frankly, I can't blame her."

Derek smiled, and kissed his wife's temple. "But we are going to tell her soon, right?" he asked, casting a glance over at Willa, who was still sitting on their bed.

"We will," Addison assured her husband. "I just, I want to make sure the timing's right. I don't want her to freak out."

"Addie, she's not going to freak out," Derek assured his wife.

"I don't know," Addison disagreed. "From what I've been told, Archer didn't exactly take it well when my parents told him about me. He packed one of his little Louis Vuitton suitcases and headed down the street."

"Well, he's Archer," Derek laughed. "I'd expect nothing less from him. Willa wouldn't dream of pulling something like that."

"I wear scrubs too?" Willa asked, cutting into Derek and Addison's conversation. "Scrubs like Mommy?"

Addison smiled warmly at her daughter. "One day, sweetie," she chuckled. "But for now, how about you just stick to the pretty dress you're wearing."

"Okay," Willa nodded, as Derek moved to sit down on the bed with her.

"What color scrubs would you want to wear, Willa?" he asked, pulling his daughter into his lap, and kissing her cheek. "How about navy blue, like Mommy and Daddy?"

Willa shook her head. "Pink."

"You know, Mommy used to wear pink scrubs," Derek told his daughter with a chuckle.

"They were salmon," Addison called out from the master bathroom.

Derek chuckled at his wife's retort, before turning his attention back to his daughter. "Trust me Willa, they were pink."

"Are you two ready to go?" Addison asked, as she emerged from the bathroom, smiling as she watched Derek and Willa together.

Derek and Willa both looked up at her and nodded. "Ready," Willa grinned.

"Okay," Addison smiled, walking over to them, and loving running a hand through her husband's hair. "Let's go."

They arrived at Willa's nursery school ten minutes later. Derek and Addison were in the middle of helping Willa take off her jacket and putting her things away in her cubby, when Derek felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a woman, carrying a baby, standing in front of him, and a toddler standing next to her.

"Excuse me, are you Willa Shepherd's parents?" the woman asked.

"We are," Derek nodded, as Addison too turned to face the woman.

A wide smile spread across the woman's face. "I'm Alice Henderson…Joshua's mother," she explained, gesturing towards the little boy next to her. "Joshua just loves Willa," Alice gushed. "Every day, it's Willa this, Willa that. And I've met Willa before, but it's very nice to meet you two."

"It's nice to meet you too," Addison smiled. "I'm Addison. This is my husband, Derek," she said, discretely pinching Derek's arm to get him to stop sizing up Willa's tiny classmate.

"Uh, nice to meet you, Alice," Derek stammered.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Joshua," Addison said, offering the little boy a wide smile. "Derek," she said, clearing her throat and nudging her husband discretely.

"Yes, it's very nice to meet you Joshua," Derek agreed quickly, while Addison did her best to stifle a laugh. Willa was only three-years-old and, already, Derek was ridiculously overprotective when it came to boys.

"And who is this little cutie?" Addison asked, gesturing to the baby in Alice's arms.

"This is Charlotte," Alice smiled.

"You know, Willa was almost a Charlotte," Addison told Alice, before meeting Derek's eyes, as she thought back on how much time she and Derek had spent choosing just the right name for their daughter. She knew that there would be a lot more of that in their future.

"Cute baby," Willa complimented, gesturing towards Charlotte.

"Yes, sweetie," Addison smiled, bending down to Willa's level, and kissing her daughter's forehead. "Charlotte's a very cute baby, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Willa agreed.

"You know, we'd love to set up a play date with Willa," Alice went on with a smile, while Joshua nodded emphatically. "Maybe at a park or something."

"That sounds like fun, doesn't it, Willa?" Addison smiled.

"Yeah," Willa nodded. She turned to her mother. "Charlotte too?"

Addison smiled at her daughter before meeting Derek's eyes. He was smiling at her smugly, the way he always did when he was gloating. It was that smile that she found simultaneously infuriating and irresistible. It was the smile he gave to her when he knew that he had been right and that she had been wrong. And, as much as she hated being wrong, right now, she was okay with it. Because Derek had been absolutely right – Willa was going to have no problems accepting her younger siblings.

xxxxx

"Uncle Mark," Willa exclaimed, running up to her uncle, as Mark, Addison, and Derek entered the hospital daycare, a few days later. "Gonna be a big sister," Willa declared proudly.

"You are?" Mark asked, pretending to be surprised, as he bent down and picked Willa up.

Willa nodded. "Two babies," Willa explained happily.

"Wow," Mark grinned.

"Yeah," Willa smiled. "'Cause Daddy's guys are champions."

"Derek!" Addison scolded, smacking her husband's bicep playfully, while Mark stifled a laugh.

Derek shrugged innocently, before giving his wife a teasing smile.

"I'm so glad that this is amusing to you now, Derek," Addison smirked at her husband. "Because when she repeats that to someone who isn't Mark, I'm leaving the explaining up to you."

"I just thought she should hear the facts," Derek defended with a chuckle.

"And those are the facts?" Addison asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband.

"I mean, we are having twins," Derek pointed out smugly. "It may not be my field of expertise, Dr. Shepherd, but I know enough to know that I played some part in that."

"Oh, trust me," Mark chuckled, nudging Derek teasingly. "Give it a few months. Once the backaches and other physical discomforts start setting in, she's gonna blame this whole thing on you and your super swimmers."

"Oh, shut it," Addison retorted, trying her best to appear stern, fighting the smile that was playing on her lips, while Derek and Mark continued to chuckle at her expense.

Willa looked from Addison to Derek to Mark, as she tried to keep up with their playful banter. "Daddy and Uncle Mark funny?" she finally asked her mother in confusion.

Addison stole a quick glance at Derek and Mark before turning her attention back to her daughter. "They have their moments," she muttered dryly.

"Oh, don't listen to her, Willa," Mark insisted, cuddling his niece close. "Your daddy and Uncle Mark are the funniest."

"Oh," Willa nodded, clearly proud of herself for keeping up with a grown-up conversation. "Thought so."

xxxxx

A month had passed. Addison was approaching eighteen weeks – safely in the second trimester – and Monty and Shep were completely healthy. She and Derek were eagerly awaiting their upcoming ultrasound – the ultrasound where they would hopefully learn the sexes of their twins. Then they could begin decorating and shopping for clothes and coming up with names…the fun stuff, as Addison liked to put it.

Willa was still excited about becoming a big sister, and Derek and Addison knew from watching her play with Joshua – and Charlotte – that Willa would be a natural with Monty and Shep. Derek had even warmed up to Joshua, over the past month; and after a recent trip to the playground with Willa and Joshua, he reluctantly admitted to Addison that he no longer minded Willa's little friend.

Things were good, and Addison couldn't help reflecting on that as she parked her car in the Seattle Grace parking lot, prepared to head into work. She had just come from dropping Willa off at nursery school; usually she and Derek dropped their daughter off at school together, but Derek had to get into work early to run some early morning pre-ops, so Addison was on her own.

She was about to make her way out of her car and into the hospital, but paused when she felt a gentle movement inside her. One of the babies was moving. She sat in her car, indulging the feeling for a moment, before grabbing her attaché case, and heading into the hospital, hoping to find Derek before his surgery. Sure, the baby's movements were slight, and Derek wouldn't be able to feel it from the outside yet, but Addison and Derek both knew that movement meant that kicks weren't far behind. And Derek would be excited to hear that one of the twins (Shep – if the babies were still in the same positions that they were in at the last ultrasound) was moving.

"Hey, Izzie," Addison greeted her coworker, as she walked into the hospital. "Have you seen Derek? I was hoping to catch him for a minute before he scrubs in."

Izzie looked at Addison in confusion. "I thought he was coming in with you this morning."

Addison shook her head. "No. You two have surgery in twenty minutes. You had pre-ops nearly an hour ago."

"I know," Izzie nodded. "And Derek never showed up for the pre-ops. I just figured that he was letting me run them on my own, or something, since the surgery is a relatively routine one."

"So, wait," Addison began. "Are you saying that Derek never showed up for work this morning?"

"I haven't seen him," Izzie said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Addison muttered, as she reached into her purse to retrieve her cell phone. "Why don't I try calling –"

But she was cut off by a team of paramedics, pushing a stretcher through the Emergency Room doors and into the hospital.

"What do we have," Bailey asked, as she briskly walked over to meet the paramedics.

"Forty-two-year-old male…car accident…unconscious...possible internal bleeding…BP is 110 over 60."

Addison felt a shiver run through her body, as she and Izzie made their way over to Bailey to see if she needed any assistance. And Addison felt her heart sink to her stomach when she looked down at the man on the stretcher. Izzie immediately placed a comforting hand on Addison's shoulder, as she did her best to momentarily suppress her own shock and grief. But Addison wasn't even aware of it. She couldn't feel anything. Her entire body went numb, and her throat went dry, as she gasped desperately for air, tears streaming down her cheeks. But she wasn't aware of that either. The only thing that was registering was the man lying unconsciously on the stretcher – the man that she couldn't tear her eyes away from.

_Derek._


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you so much for your kind feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far. I really appreciate it. I tried to get this chapter up as quickly as possible because cliffhangers drive me crazy (patience is not a virtue I possess). I hope you like this chapter and, as always, thank you for reading! :)

* * *

"Addison," Alex said gently, as he walked into Derek's hospital room. Derek's heart rate and BP were stable, but he was still unconscious; and Addison hadn't left his side.

"Addison," Alex repeated, trying to get his friend's attention.

Addison looked up in surprise, and Alex felt his heart sink as he took in his boss' red, puffy eyes and tear stained face.

"Hey," he said sympathetically, moving towards her and pulling her into a comforting hug. "Everything's going to be okay."

"You don't know that," Addison choked out. "There's a, there's a chance that he might never wake up."

"That's not gonna happen," Alex said, rubbing Addison's arm reassuringly. "Derek's a fighter. He's going to wake up."

Addison shook her head sadly. "I keep looking at these," she said, handing Alex copies of Derek's brain scan. "I can't find anything wrong with them, but…" she trailed off tearfully, motioning towards her unconscious husband. "I don't know what I'm missing."

Alex looked at the scans carefully. "This really isn't my area of expertise," he admitted. "Or yours," he added lightly.

But Addison was fervently shaking her head. "I've spent the last third of my life married to a world-class neurosurgeon. I can read a brain scan. I just," she choked out, as her words dissolved into sobs.

Alex immediately wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry. Is there…is there anything I can do? Can I do something for you?"

Addison stepped out of Alex's embrace, and met her friend's eyes. "Can you pick Willa up from nursery school today?" she asked.

Alex nodded. "Sure."

"And can she spend the night at your house?"

"Of course."

"And Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure she has a good time tonight. Don't give her any reason to suspect that anything out of the ordinary is going on. Make sure she's happy. Because…well…because tomorrow she may be a little girl without a father."

"Addison."

"No. Alex, you have to promise me that you'll make sure she's a carefree kid tonight."

"Addison…Derek's going to pull through," Alex insisted. "You're not going to lose your husband. Willa's not going to lose her father. He's going to pull through and everything's going to be fine."

Addison looked up and met Alex's eyes. She wanted to believe him, but life wasn't always that simple – or that kind. "Alex," she choked out tearfully. "You have to promise me. You have to promise me not to tip Willa off to any of this. You have to promise me."

Alex swallowed hard, and choked back the sob that was threatening to escape his throat. "I promise," he said softly. "I promise."

xxxxx

"Mark, you know that you can't use sex to cope with what's happening," Lexie said gently, as she and Mark lay together naked in a locked on-call room. "You need to go see Derek. You need to be there for Addison."

"People deal with things differently," Mark mumbled. "Some people are good at confronting things and talking. Some people turn to food. Some people drink. And I have sex. That's how I deal with things."

"I know," Lexie admitted. "Which is why we had sex. But, Mark, sex isn't going to just make this go away. You need to-"

"He's my best friend, Lexie," Mark choked out, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "He and Addison…they're my family."

"Which is why you need to be in there with them," Lexie said gently, as she lightly trailed her fingers up and down his arm. "Be with your family."

Mark kissed her tenderly. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Mark."

"You know I love you, right, Lex?"

"I know."

"Good," Mark nodded. "It's just, when something like this happens…" he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, as he fought for composure.

"I know," Lexie said softly, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it reassuringly. "I know."

xxxxx

"Uncle Alex," Willa exclaimed, running up to Alex and wrapping her tiny arms around his legs.

"Hey, Willa," Alex said, doing his best to muster a smile, as he bent down to pick his niece up.

"Mommy and Daddy?" Willa asked in confusion.

Alex swallowed hard. "Mommy and Daddy are at the hospital," he explained. "So, I'm here to pick you up today. Does that sound good?"

Willa nodded. "See Mommy and Daddy soon?" she asked hopefully.

Alex shifted uncomfortably. Sure, he was lying to Willa for her own good, but it didn't make it any easier. "Actually," he began with forced cheerfulness, "I'm going to take you back to my house because you're having a sleepover with me and Izzie tonight."

Willa's eyes lit up in excitement, and Alex felt his heart sink as Willa hugged him tightly.

"Bake cookies?" she asked happily.

"Sure," Alex nodded. "We'll do whatever you want tonight. What do you say we get your jacket and get out of here?"

"Okay," Willa agreed, as she and Alex made their way over to her cubby.

And as they approached Willa's cubby, Alex found himself doing everything in his power to suppress the sob that was threatening to escape his throat, as he looked at the pictures plastered inside of Willa's cubby. He remembered Addison telling him, a couple months earlier, about how the nursery school had asked parents to bring in pictures of their children with family and friends to decorate their cubbies with; but he had never really paid much attention to the pictures that Addison and Derek had selected – until today. Now, he found himself unable to look away from the pictures in Willa's cubby. There was one of Addison, Derek, and Willa at Christmas. There was another of him, Izzie, and Willa at his and Izzie's wedding. There was one of Mark, Lexie, and Willa from Mark and Lexie's engagement party. There was even an ultrasound picture of Monty and Shep. But the picture that was threatening to make him lose his composure was one of Addison, Derek, and Willa at his and Izzie's wedding. Addison was holding Willa, and Derek's arms were lovingly wrapped around his wife and daughter, as he smiled at them adoringly. They hadn't realized, at the time, that they were being photographed – and that's what made the picture so amazing. It was them – the Shepherds being just the Shepherds. And as his eyes continued to scan over the pictures in Willa's cubby, Alex couldn't help thinking about the life that Addison and Derek had made together – this incredible life that they had created for their incredible little girl – and how easily this life could be ripped to shreds if Derek didn't wake up.

"Uncle Alex," Willa said, cutting into Alex's thoughts.

Alex swallowed hard, and turned to his niece, doing his best to muster a smile. "You ready to get out of here, Squirt?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded, as Alex helped her button up her coat.

"Okay," Alex said. "Let's get out of here."

xxxxx

"Hey," Izzie mumbled, as she walked into her and Alex's house.

"We're in the kitchen," she heard her husband call out cheerfully.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Izzie asked as brightly as she could, when she walked into the kitchen, and saw Alex and Willa mixing what looked like batter in a bowl.

"Chocolate chip cookies," Willa answered happily.

"You're baking?" Izzie asked her husband in surprise. "You don't bake."

"I can follow a recipe," Alex insisted. "And Willa wanted to make cookies, so we're making cookies."

"Oh," Izzie nodded.

"So, uh, how's he doing?" Alex asked discretely.

Izzie shook her head sadly. "He still hasn't woken up."

Alex sighed heavily. "How's she holding up?"

Izzie shook her head. "She's inconsolable. But who wouldn't be?" she asked, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Alex," Izzie choked out tearfully.

But Alex shook his head. "Iz, you can't fall apart…not here, at least." He turned to his niece. "I think it's time to add some chocolate chips. What do you think Willa?" he asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," Willa smiled, as Alex handed her some chocolate chips to stir into the batter.

"Okay," Alex smiled. "Now help me mix it up really well, okay?"

Izzie shook her head, as she watched Alex and Willa. "How are you doing this?" she asked her husband, as she fought to keep her own tears at bay. "How are you staying so relaxed and cheerful?"

Alex shrugged. "I used to do this all the time when I was younger. You know, when things with my dad got bad, I'd lie to my siblings, and put on a happy front, so that they didn't know what was really happening. This is different, but it's kind of the same."

"Oh," Izzie said quietly.

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "And because Addison asked me to."

xxxxx

"Hey," Mark said softly, as he walked into Derek's hospital room.

Addison tore her eyes away from Derek and met Mark's eyes. "Hey."

"How's he doing?" Mark asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down on Derek's other side.

Addison sighed. "Pretty much the same. Dr. Jenkins, the head of neuro at Mercy West, was in here a little while ago. He couldn't find anything wrong with Derek's scans. How's that for irony?" Addison went on sadly. "The only person who I would ever fully trust to tell me whether or not something is wrong is…well…" she trailed off, gesturing towards her unconscious husband.

Mark nodded glumly, as he turned his attention to Derek. "Come on, Derek," he pleaded softly. "Come on, you need to wake up. Just wake up." He looked at Addison sadly. "I don't know what to do, right now," he admitted.

Addison shook her head sadly. "Me either."

Mark swallowed hard, doing his best to push aside his own grief to comfort Addison. "Hey," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "Did Derek ever tell you about the day…back in med school…when he knew he wanted to marry you?"

Addison wiped a stray tear from her cheek and met Mark's eyes. "You mean when we met over the cadaver in class?" she asked. She had heard that story – and song – several times.

Mark shook his head. "No. That was the day he said that he'd marry you one day. But the day that he knew for certain…I don't think you know that story."

_Mark walked into his and Derek's apartment to the sound of Derek and Addison arguing._

"_Honey, a bet's a bet," he heard Derek say. "Pay up."_

"_But I didn't lose," Addison insisted. "I think you lost."_

"_Are you kidding me?" Derek retorted. "I definitely didn't lose."_

"_Hey, what's going on in here?" Mark smirked as he joined Addison and Derek in the kitchen._

_Derek turned to his friend and smiled. "Addison lost a bet and she's refusing to pay up." _

"_Except I didn't lose the bet," Addison insisted._

"_What do you to get for winning the bet?" Mark asked curiously._

_Addison and Derek exchanged a smile, before redirecting their attention elsewhere; she studied her polished fingernails, while he stared down at the floor._

"_You know what, never mind," Mark chuckled, sensing the sexual nature of the bet. "I get it. So, what were you betting on anyway?"_

"_Addison bet that she'd do better on our neuro exam, even though I'm planning on specializing in it. So I bet that that I'd do better than her."_

"_Okay," Mark nodded. "Those seem like pretty clear-cut terms. I don't see where the confusion's coming in."_

"_We got the same score," Addison explained. "We never considered that possibility when we made the bet."_

"_So, maybe nobody wins," Mark offered, trying to be helpful._

"_But someone should win," Addison insisted, shooting Derek a seductive glance._

"_Yeah," Derek agreed. "Someone…preferably me, should win. Hey what's in the bag?" Derek asked Mark, gesturing to the large paper bag that Mark had put on the kitchen table._

_Mark rolled his eyes in frustration. "Apples," he muttered._

"_Apples?" Addison asked in confusion. "Why do you need a whole bag's worth of apples?"_

"_I don't," Mark explained. "But I just went apple picking, so-"_

"_Wait, why did you go apple picking?" Derek cut in._

"_Because Tracy Lipman from gross anatomy wanted to go apple picking. And Tracy Lipman is hot. So I figured that if I went apple picking with Tracy, then she'd-"_

"_Sleep with you," Derek filled in knowingly._

"_Exactly," Mark nodded. "Except it didn't work out that way. We went apple picking. And then I drove her home. We didn't sleep together. She didn't even invite me up to her place. So now I have all these apples, and nothing to show for it. What the hell am I supposed to do with all these apples?"_

"_We'll take them," Derek offered._

"_We will?" Addison asked in surprise. "Derek, nobody needs that many apples."_

"_We do," Derek insisted. "It'll be the perfect way to settle our bet. You and I will have an apple-pie bakeoff, and whoever bakes the better pie wins."_

"_Honey, I don't bake."_

"_Neither do I," Derek smirked. "It's the perfect way to settle things."_

"_Okay," Addison began slowly. "Who's going to judge?"_

"_Mark will," Derek answered, as if it were obvious._

"_What?" Mark asked in confusion._

"_Come on, Mark," Derek smiled. "You were just complaining that you had all these apples and nothing to show for it. Well, now you'll have some warm apple pie."_

"_Yeah, because sex and pie are the same," Mark muttered dryly._

"_So, you'll do it?" Derek asked._

"_Fine," Mark conceded._

_xxxxx _

"_Addison, this is the worst apple pie I've ever tasted," Mark complained as he spit a bite of pie into a napkin. "Seriously," he chuckled, wiping his mouth with the napkin, "you somehow managed to burn it and undercook it all at the same time." _

"_Well, what did you expect?" Addison asked. "Nobody in my family bakes. Our idea of baking is having one of the maids go to the bakery and pick up a pie or a cake…or whatever type of baked good an occasion calls for. I've never baked a pie in my life."_

"_And I wouldn't recommend baking another one," Mark advised with a chuckle. He turned to Derek. "Alright, let's see how you did."_

"_Okay," Derek nodded, as he put a piece of apple pie on a plate, and handed it to Mark. "So…" Derek trailed off expectantly, as Mark chewed his bite of pie._

"_It's not bad," Mark admitted. "I mean, it's not particularly good. And it's definitely not as good as sex. But it's not bad, and it's definitely not as bad as Addison's pie."_

"_So I win?" Derek asked._

"_I guess you could say that," Mark nodded. "Though you both really should stick to surgery. But, yeah, you win."_

_Derek grinned triumphantly and Addison raised an eyebrow at him coquettishly._

"_Oh stop being coy, and go have sex already," Mark groaned. "I mean, someone deserves to have sex today."_

_Addison shook her head in amusement before leaning in close to Derek. "Mark's right," she whispered in her boyfriend's ear. "Give me a five minute head start, and then come meet me in the bedroom."_

_Once Addison had disappeared into Derek's room, Derek turned to Mark and smiled. "I'm gonna marry her Mark."_

"_Derek, you've said that since the moment you met her over that cadaver."_

"_I know," Derek nodded. "But this is different. Because I didn't really know her then. But I know her now. And she knows me. And I can't picture myself ever feeling this way about anyone else. I mean, I love the fact that she made a truly awful pie," Derek grinned. "I love that about her."_

"_Derek you didn't taste the pie she made," Mark pointed out. "Maybe if you tasted it, you'd feel differently. Here, you should-"_

"_That's beside the point," Derek insisted, pushing away the slice of pie that Mark had put in front of him. "I don't know…I just, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her."_

_Mark looked at his friend and smiled. Derek was undeniably happy; but Mark couldn't resist giving him a hard time. "I don't know," he smirked. "Are you sure you're really okay with being tied down to one woman for the rest of your life."_

_A slow smile spread across Derek's face, and Mark could tell that his friend was clearly thinking about Addison and the type of future that the two of them might have together._

"_Yeah," Derek nodded, after a moment. "I'm definitely okay with that."_

"I had no idea," Addison admitted.

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "He was always a hopeless romantic when it came to you. Although, he never did taste that horrible pie you made."

"Was it really that bad?" Addison asked, chuckling for the first time in what had felt like ages.

"Worse," Mark smirked. "But Derek…he found it endearing. Again, probably because he never actually tried the pie. But still…" Mark trailed off, turning his focus back to Derek.

They sat together in Derek's room quietly, for a few minutes, until the buzzing of Mark's pager broke the silence. Mark quickly read the page and sighed heavily.

"Patient?" Addison asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "I'll just give the case to someone else."

"Go," Addison insisted quietly.

"Addison, I don't…I should be here. I'd rather be here."

"It's okay," Addison persisted. "You should go. I'll be okay by myself for a while."

"You sure?" Mark asked hesitantly.

"I'm sure," Addison nodded.

"Okay," Mark conceded. "But you'll page me if you need anything or if anything happens."

"I will," Addison promised, as Mark began to reluctantly make his way out of Derek's hospital room. "Hey Mark?"

Mark quickly turned and met Addison's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for telling me that story."

"You're welcome."

Addison watched Mark's retreating form for a moment before turning her attention back to her unconscious husband.

"For me, it was Christmas," she told him quietly. "That's when I knew for sure that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. There's no great, romantic story or anything. I just…when we spent our first Christmas together, I knew that I never wanted to spend another Christmas without you."

She lightly ran her index finger over the gash on Derek's forehead. "I can't spend Christmas without you, Derek. I can't spend my life without you." She paused to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. "You know, I keep thinking about history," she told her husband. "And how you can't let it repeat itself. You lost your father when you were very young. Willa can't have the same thing happen to her. She can't lose her father. She needs you, Derek. I need you. And Monty and Shep…they-they need to be born in a world where their father is alive."

Addison shook her head sadly, and reached for Derek's hand, pressing a gentle kiss right below his knuckle. "I knew things were too good," she said sadly. "But I didn't question it. Because I thought that after all we've been through together over the years…I thought that things were calming down and we were settling into the life that we made together." Addison sighed heavily, as she traced light patterns on the back of her husband's hand. "We've made such a good life for ourselves…but, Derek, we're not done yet. We're not done, and that's why you need to wake up. Because how am I supposed to love the life we've made if you're not there to share it with me? How am I supposed to go on living _our _life without you? How am I-" she choked out as her words dissolved into uncontrollable sobs. "Please, Derek," Addison whispered tearfully, clutching her husband's hand tightly.

She sat there several more minutes, holding his hand in hers, when she suddenly felt his hand shift slightly. She quickly looked down at their hands, trying to figure out whether Derek's hand was actually moving, or whether she had imagined it. And happy tears sprang to her eyes when she saw that Derek was, in fact, moving his hand. Her eyes quickly darted up to her husband's face. He was waking up.

"Derek," Addison choked out, as her husband opened his bright blue eyes. "Derek," she repeated again, a bit more timidly this time, as a harsh realization crashed down on her. Derek had woken up, but things like amnesia and permanent brain damage were still very real possibilities.

But Derek just gave her a soft smile, and she knew then that he knew exactly who she was. And if that wasn't confirmation enough, he looked at her lovingly, his eyes softening around the corners, as he smiled at her adoringly and whispered her name.

"_Addie."_


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update this story. I'm still into it, and hope that other people still are too. This next chapter's a long one, so hopefully that makes up for the wait between updates. I hope you like it and, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

Addison released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, as she listened to Derek confidently ramble off basic facts about himself, like his name, date of birth, and anniversary date(s) to Dr. Jenkins, who was assessing Derek's condition.

"Well, Derek," Dr. Jenkins grinned, "it looks like you were very, very lucky. You suffered a severe concussion, but there doesn't seem to be brain damage or any other type of injury. We're going to keep you here a couple of nights for observations, but as far as I can tell, you're going to be perfectly fine." He handed Derek a copy of his brain scan. "I figured you'd want to see this for yourself, just to confirm everything," he assessed knowingly, as Derek eagerly accepted his bran scans. "I realize that you just regained consciousness a couple of hours ago, but you and I both know that you're still there best neurosurgeon there is."

Derek smiled before turning his attention to the scans in his hands. "Everything looks normal to me," he said, after a few minutes of studying the scans carefully. And Addison couldn't resist smiling at her husband's reassurances. Sure, she knew that Dr. Jenkins was good, and she trusted him. But he wasn't Derek. And she knew that she wouldn't feel completely better until Derek assured her that everything was okay.

Dr. Jenkins gave Derek a warm smile. "Why don't I give you and Addison some time alone," he said.

"Thank you," Derek nodded, as he watched Dr. Jenkins leave the room. Derek quickly turned his attention to Addison, his eyes softening, as he looked at his wife adoringly. But as he looked at her closer, he noticed the look of exhaustion in her eyes and the remnants of mascara streaks staining her cheeks; and, suddenly, he felt guilty. "I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice dry and thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Addie."

Addison met her husband's eyes, a look of confusion on her face. "Derek, you don't…you didn't-"

"I know," Derek nodded. "I know the accident wasn't my fault. I know there was nothing I could have done. But, still, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through everything you went through. That…had to be tough. I'm sorry, Addison."

"Derek," Addison sniffled, dabbing at her moist eyes with a Kleenex. "You have to stop apologizing. Because what happened wasn't your fault. And you're okay. And I'm so, _so_ unbelievably thankful that you're okay. So you don't get to apologize. Because you're okay…which means I'm okay. And our family is going to be okay."

Derek smiled at her before moving over in his hospital bed, so that she could sit down next to him. When she sat down, he immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "I love you," he whispered against her hair.

This small gesture was all it took for Addison to lose her composure, and Derek suddenly found himself repeating back to her the very words that she had just said to him. "Hey, I'm okay," he said reassuringly, as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "You're stuck with me," he teased, doing his best to lighten the mood.

Addison swallowed hard as she met her husband's eyes. "I couldn't imagine doing it without you," she admitted. "Living _our_ life…raising _our_ kids. I just, I couldn't…not without you."

"You could do it without me," Derek said quietly, as he tucked a piece of red hair behind her ear. "If you had to…you could do it without me, Addie. But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to do it without me. I won't let you do it without me."

Addison nodded mutely. Sure, there was so much more she wanted to say to her husband, but it could wait. Derek wasn't going anywhere and, right now, she was struggling to get words out. So she did the one thing that couldn't wait. She leaned in and softly molded her lips against Derek's, sighing contently when he responded in kind.

"Hey, Derek," she whispered when they broke apart.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for not quitting on me."

Derek gave her a warm smile before kissing her softly. "We're Addison-and-Derek, remember? We don't quit."

xxxxx

"Are you sure she can handle this?" Derek asked Addison worriedly.

Addison nodded. "Willa can handle this. Besides, if we don't tell her, she's going to wonder where her daddy is when she hasn't seen you for a couple of days…and we don't want her to internalize it and think she had anything to do with you not being around."

"I know you're right," Derek agreed. "I just, I don't want to worry her unnecessarily."

Addison lovingly stroked her husband's cheek. "I'll talk to her first, and assure her that everything's okay. Everything's-"

But she was cut off by the sound of her cell phone vibrating. She quickly read the text message and met her husband's eyes. "Alex and Izzie are here with Willa."

"Okay," Derek nodded, sitting up straighter in his hospital bed.

"I'll be right back," Addison smiled, as she left the room to go get her daughter.

"Mommy!" Willa exclaimed, as she rushed towards her mother, Alex and Izzie following closely behind her.

"Hey, Willa," Addison smiled, as she bent down to hug her daughter. "Did you have fun with Aunt Izzie and Uncle Alex?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded, as she clung to Addison tightly. "Made chocolate chip cookies."

"That sounds fun," Addison smiled. She turned her attention to Alex and Izzie. "Thank you so much for everything," she said earnestly.

"You don't need to thank us," Izzie insisted, lacing her fingers through her husband's. "You guys are our family. We'd do anything for you."

"Thank you," Addison nodded, as she continued to hold her daughter close.

"How's he doing?" Alex asked discretely.

Addison smiled. "He's good. Everything looks perfectly normal. You two should go see him. He'd like that."

"Oh, uh, we can wait," Alex stammered. "You know, until Willa sees him."

"I thought I'd talk to her first and try to explain things to her," Addison said. "Just so she doesn't get scared."

"Oh," Izzie nodded. "Then, yeah, we'll go in, and when you're done out here, we'll leave."

Addison smiled warmly at Alex and Izzie before turning her attention to her daughter. "Hey, Willa, what do you say to Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzie for taking such good care of you last night?"

Willa looked up at her aunt and uncle and smiled. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Aw, you're welcome, Willa," Izzie grinned, bending down and pressing a kiss to her niece's forehead, before she and Alex made their way to Derek's hospital room, leaving Willa and Addison alone together.

"Hey, Willa," Addison said gently, once Izzie and Alex had left.

Willa sensed the seriousness in her mother's voice, and looked up at her quickly, her eyes wide with concern.

Addison swallowed hard, and silently commanded herself to keep her compose. "Do you remember the time when you had to stay overnight at the hospital?" she asked her daughter calmly.

Willa nodded, still unsure where her mother was going with this.

"Well, like you, Daddy has to spend a couple of days in the hospital," Addison continued, stroking her daughter's arm reassuringly, when she felt Willa tense up worriedly. "Daddy's okay," Addison promised her daughter. "He has a few boo-boos on his head. But he's okay. And the doctors are going to take good care of him, okay?"

"Okay," Willa said quietly.

"Hey, Willa, is there anything you want to say?" Addison asked her daughter gently, while Willa continued to process the information she had just received. "Do you have any questions you want to ask?"

Willa remained quiet for a moment before meeting her mother's eyes. "Get Daddy a get well soon present?" she asked timidly.

Addison smiled at her daughter. "I think that's a good idea. How about we buy him some juju? I think he'll like that."

"Okay," Willa nodded, as she walked with her mother to the coffee cart to buy Derek some hot chocolate. "I pay."

"Okay," Addison chuckled, reaching into her purse, and handing her daughter a couple of dollars. "Juju's on you."

A few minutes later, juju in hand, Addison led Willa into Derek's hospital room.

"Hey, Willa," Derek smiled brightly, when he saw his daughter enter his room timidly with Addison.

"See, Sweetie," Addison reassured her daughter. "Daddy's okay."

Willa nodded, as she and Addison made their way towards Derek's hospital bed. "Got you juju," Willa told her father, as Addison handed Derek the cup of hot chocolate in her hands. "Get well soon present," Willa explained, as Addison and Derek helped her onto Derek's hospital bed.

"Thank you, Willa," Derek smiled, pulling his daughter into a hug.

"Welcome," Willa said, as she clutched her father tightly. "I paid," she went on proudly.

"She did," Addison confirmed with a chuckle.

"Thanks, Willa," Derek laughed, pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's temple.

Willa looked up and met her father's eyes, and Derek watched as his daughter's eyes traveled to the gash on his forehead.

"Boo-boo hurt?" Willa asked her father, lightly running her fingers over the cut on Derek's head.

"No," Derek answered with a reassuring smile. "It looks worse than it is."

Willa nodded and wrapped her little arms around her father before echoing what he had said to her when she was worried about her appendix scar. "Boo-boo's not ugly, Daddy," she assured her father, as she cuddled up against him. "You're very brave."

Derek couldn't help smiling at his daughter's words; and as he continued to hold Willa close, he motioned for Addison to come join them on the bed, wrapping an arm around her when she sat down next to him. And with one arm around his wife, and the other around his daughter, Derek knew that he was lucky. He had come out of what could have been a deadly crash virtually unscathed – and he was undeniably lucky. And on top of that, he had Addison and Willa – his two girls, who he loved more than anything. He met Addison's eyes and smiled, as his hand moved to rest on the swell of her stomach, over Monty and Shep – their twins, who he was certain would only make their already amazing family even better.

xxxxx

"Thanks for offering to come shopping with me today," Lexie smiled, as Izzie slid into the passenger's seat of her car, a week later. "I haven't really done much wedding planning yet, so I thought that shopping for wedding night lingerie might get me in the mood."

Izzie chuckled. "Lingerie was the last thing that Addison and I went shopping for when it was my wedding that we were planning. So this feels completely backwards for me."

Lexie nodded. "I get that most women tend to buy a dress and a cake and flowers before they even start thinking about lingerie shopping. But most women aren't marrying Mark Sloan, and this…well, this just feels right. It feels very us."

"Hey, I'm all for it," Izzie insisted, putting her hands up in surrender.

"And I appreciate you coming with me," Lexie smiled. "I mean, I was going to ask Meredith, but this isn't exactly her type of thing. And Addison's a good choice, but she's slept with Mark, and I'm sure he's seen her in her fair share of lingerie, so I was worried it might be awkward."

"It wouldn't have been," Izzie insisted. "But I get where you're coming from."

"I mean, it's not like I was really worried," Lexie continued. "What happened between Addison and Mark was a long time ago. And Addison, Derek, and Mark have clearly moved past it."

Izzie nodded in agreement. "And Addison and Derek's marriage is really strong and stable. And you and Mark are amazing together. I mean, I honestly don't think I've ever seen Mark so happy…or so committed."

Lexie chuckled at Izzie's description of her fiancé. "So, you and Alex seem like you're in a good place," she said with a smile.

A wide smile graced Izzie's features, as she thought about her husband. "We are in a good place," she agreed. "He just…you should have seen how amazing he was with Willa when Derek was in the accident. He was so good with her."

"So you and Alex are thinking about kids?" Lexie assessed knowingly.

Izzie bit her lip in thought. "We want kids," she began. "But we agreed to wait until our residency is over before we start trying."

"But…" Lexie trailed off knowingly.

"But then I see how amazing he is with Willa and it…it makes me not want to wait."

"Well, you are in your final year of residency," Lexie pointed out.

"I guess," Izzie sighed. "It's just..." she trailed off, looking down guiltily.

"Maybe you should talk to Alex," Lexie suggested. "I mean, you guys may have agreed to hold off on having kids until you're done with your residency, but maybe he's feeling the same way you are."

Izzie nodded, as she let Lexie's words sink in. "You may be right," she said after a moment.

"I am right," Lexie insisted. "So, go talk to your husband. Oh, but do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"Make sure Mark doesn't get word of this. I want kids…just not right now. And the last thing I need is for him to start catching baby fever too."

xxxxx

"Hey," Izzie grinned, as she entered her and Alex's house, a few hours later.

"Hey," Alex smiled, as Izzie walked into the living room, where he was lounging on the couch. "How was shopping with Lexie?"

"It was good," Izzie nodded. "It was really good. Hey, uh, Alex," she began hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked worriedly, sensing his wife's serious tone.

"Nothing's wrong," Izzie assured her husband quickly. "Everything's fine. There's just…there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh," Alex nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "That's good….because, uh, there's actually something that I want to talk to you about too."

"Really?" Izzie asked in surprise.

Alex nodded. "I just, I know we've talked about our plans for the future, but I…I don't know…I just…sometimes things change, you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean," Izzie smiled. It was a huge relief to know that she and her husband were on the same page.

"That's good," Alex nodded. "Because, um, I got a job offer at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, and I think it could be a great opportunity for us."

"You what?" Izzie asked, her eyes widening in surprise, as she tried, but failed, to control the anger in her voice. "Seriously, Alex?"

"Wait," Alex said in confusion. "Was this not what you were expecting?"

Izzie glared at her husband. "No!" she exclaimed. "This was the last thing I was expecting. Are you serious right now?"

"Of course I am. Izzie, can you believe it? A job at Mt. Sinai. New York, Iz."

"So?" Izzie sputtered. "We _both_ have job offers here at Seattle Grace."

"I know that," Alex nodded. "But this is New York we're talking about. And it's not too late for you to apply for a job there too. And, uh, I kind of thought you'd take the news differently."

"How did you expect me to take this news, Alex?" Izzie demanded. "How do you expect me to react when you tell me that you're planning on packing us up and moving to New York?"

"Oh, I don't know," Alex shot back sarcastically. "I kind of thought that you might be happy for me. This is an incredible opportunity. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"I do understand that, and I am happy for you," Izzie retorted. "Mt. Sinai is a big deal. I get that. It's just…this isn't what I was expecting."

"Well, what were you expecting?" Alex asked in confusion.

Izzie ran a hand though her hair in exasperation. "I was hoping…I was…you know what, it doesn't even matter anymore."

"Iz," Alex said softly, stroking her arm gently. "Talk to me."

"I actually don't feel like talking right now," Izzie admitted. "But, look, I really am happy for you, Alex…and I'm really proud of you." In all honesty, she was. But she liked the life that they'd made for themselves in Seattle. And moving to New York would change everything.

"You know what," Izzie began. "I think I'm going to go grab a drink at Joe's. I need to clear my head."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Alex asked hopefully. "We could celebrate."

Izzie shook her head. She was pretty sure that having Alex come along, and inevitably gush about New York, would defeat the purpose of her going to Joe's in the first place. "No, you stay here," she told her husband. "We'll celebrate when I come home."

"Um, okay," Alex stammered, still trying to figure out what he had said or done to make his wife so upset. "Hey, Iz," he said as Izzie began to put on her coat.

"Yeah?"

"It sounds like you're planning on grabbing more than just _a_ drink tonight. So if you need a ride home, please call me."

Izzie gave her husband a slight smile. Nobody frustrated her quite the way he did; but on the flip side, nobody could melt her heart the way he did either. "Okay," she promised. "I will."

xxxxx

"So," Lexie grinned, looking up from her laptop, where she was browsing for honeymoon deals. "Would you prefer to have a touristy honeymoon somewhere like Paris, or a more relaxed honeymoon somewhere like Hawaii?"

"Are you serious?" Mark asked in disbelief. "That's not even a legitimate question."

"Well, there are pros and cons to each type of honeymoon," Lexie defended.

"Seriously, Lex, what are the pros to spending our honeymoon on a tour bus with a bunch of retirees? What are the pros of spending our days looking at landmarks and architecture when we'd clearly both rather be having sex?"

"We can still have sex at night," Lexie pointed out.

"That's not enough," Mark insisted. "Lexie, this is our honeymoon…and we're not _just_ having sex at night."

"So, you want a more relaxed honeymoon," Lexie assessed. "Like on a tropical island or something?"

"That's more my style," Mark admitted.

"Okay," Lexie nodded. "A tropical honeymoon it is."

"That sound good," Mark approved. "But do you know what I really want?" Mark asked with a smirk.

Lexie shook her head. "What?"

"Noise complaints," Mark answered matter-of-factly. "And lots of them. That's the sign of a good honeymoon."

xxxxx

"New bedtime story?" Willa asked her father excitedly when she saw him pull a book of baby names out of his briefcase and set it down on the coffee table in the living room.

"Not exactly," Derek chuckled, as he and Willa joined Addison on the couch.

He and Addison had found out Monty and Shep's sexes a day ago, and one of the first things they did was pick up a baby name book. It had taken them months to settle on Willa's name; and they realized it would probably be doubly hard to agree on two names that they both liked, so they figured that they might as well start early.

Derek smiled as he watched Addison reach out and grab the book of baby names off the coffee table so that she could show it to Willa, and explain everything to her. And as he watched his wife and daughter, he couldn't help thinking back on his and Addison's doctor's appointment the day before.

"_We should see if Jane can tell us Monty and Shep's genders first," Derek commented, as he and Addison sat in the hospital exam room waiting for their O.B. "I mean, you're you, and you'll obviously know their genders immediately, but reading fetal ultrasounds was never one of my strong suits…and even though I've been practicing, I'm still not getting much better."_

"_You've been practicing reading ultrasounds?" Addison asked her husband, a mixture a confusion and amusement lacing her voice._

_Derek nodded. "When I was stuck in my hospital bed, recovering from the accident, I made Karev bring me a bunch of ultrasound pictures so I'd be able to keep up today."_

_Addison smiled at her husband lovingly. "And…" she trailed off._

"_I'm right about half the time," Derek admitted._

"_Derek, that's not exactly impressive," Addison laughed. "Just guessing randomly, you should be right about half the time. And you're a doctor who, at one point in his life, did an O.B. rotation. Not to mention, you're married to me."_

"_Believe me, Karev told me as much," Derek chuckled. "When he was quizzing me, at one point, he actually recommended that I close my eyes and guess because I couldn't possibly do any worse than I was already doing."_

_Addison was about to respond when Jane entered the room. "Good afternoon, Addison and Derek," she smiled. "Sorry I'm late."_

"_Don't worry about it," Addison assured her colleague warmly._

_Jane nodded. "So, are you ready to get started?"_

_Addison and Derek exchanged a smile before turning their attention back to Jane. "We are," Addison nodded, as she leaned back on the exam table, so that Jane could begin. "Hey, Jane, would it be okay if we found out the twins' genders first?" Addison asked._

_Jane looked from Addison to Derek and smiled. "We can definitely arrange that," she nodded. "Okay, let's see if they're in a good position right now," she said, as she moved the ultrasound transducer over Addison's abdomen._

_It took all of Addison's willpower not to look at the screen, as Jane began scanning; but she wanted to find out Monty and Shep's genders with Derek – not before Derek – so she fought the urge to look._

"_Okay," Jane began with a smile. "It looks like Twin A is a little boy."_

_Addison couldn't help smiling, as she took in the look of sheer delight on her husband's face. Above all else, she and Derek wanted two healthy babies; but she also knew that Derek had spent his entire life surrounded by women, and was really hoping for a son – someone to go fishing with and play catch with and do all the things that he'd never gotten to do with his own father. And Derek was getting his son – Monty was a boy._

"_And Twin B..." Jane trailed off, as she repositioned the transducer, trying to get a better angle. "Twin B is a little girl. Congratulations, you two."_

"_Thank you," Derek grinned, as Addison fought for composure. _

_Shep was a girl. A sister for Willa. And Addison couldn't help thinking back to that day, shortly after her miscarriage, when she and Willa went to the nail salon together, and had met those two teenage sisters. That day and those sisters had stuck with her – because she so desperately wanted Willa to have what they had. And now this was a possibility for her daughter…for both of her daughters._

_And, on top of that, they were having a little boy – a little boy, who Addison hoped would look and act just like his father. A little boy, who Addison hoped would be the same type of brother to his sisters that Archer was to her._

_She met her husband's eyes, and felt her heart swell as she took in the look on his face – Derek looked so happy he could burst._

"_A boy and a girl, Addie," he mouthed over Jane's head. "A boy and a girl."_

"So, boy's names and girl's names?" Willa asked her mother.

"That's right, Sweetie," Addison smiled. "We need to come up with names for your little brother and your little sister, so we need a boy's name and a girl's name."

"Do you have a name that you like, Willa?" Derek asked his daughter, as he rejoined the conversation. "What's your favorite name?"

"Mark," Willa answered automatically.

Derek and Addison shared an amused glance over their daughter's head.

"Mark's a very nice name," Addison began with a laugh. "But it might get confusing because we already have Uncle Mark."

Willa nodded in understanding. "Like the name Charlotte," she offered.

Addison sighed. In all honesty, she did too. But Charlotte had lost out to Willa the first time around, and Addison didn't want her new daughter to get Willa's hand-me-down name. She wanted her new daughter to have her own separate identity. But she didn't know how to phrase that so that her three-year-old would understand it.

"Charlotte's a very pretty name," Addison told her daughter with a smile. "But we know a lot of Charlottes, don't we?"

"Yeah," Willa nodded.

"Let's try to come up with a name for your little brother and sister that not a lot of people have. That way their names will be special, like your name."

"Oh," Willa nodded in understanding. She looked from her mother to her father. "Bedtime?" she asked tiredly.

Derek looked at his watch. "It's actually past your bedtime," he laughed. "Let's go up to your room and pick out a bedtime story. What should we read you tonight?"

"Baby book," Willa smiled.

Addison chuckled in amusement. "Sweetie, we don't have to read the baby name book. We can read you a book that has pictures…and an actual story."

Willa shook her head. "Need to come up with good names," she insisted.

Derek and Addison exchanged a smile. "You know, it's exactly this type of dedication that's going to make her a great doctor one day," Derek grinned, as he picked Willa up and cuddled her close.

"Yeah," Addison agreed, pressing a gentle kiss to her three-year-old's temple. "And great big sister before that."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day (if you celebrate). Thank you so much for all of your kind feedback on the last chapter, and on this story so far. I love hearing what you think! I feel like you guys are two steps ahead of me with this story – one reviewer suggested a name for one of the twins that I had been strongly considering. And another reviewer asked whether Addison and Derek's families would be making another appearance (hint: they do). I hope you enjoy this chapter. And, as always, thank you so much for reading!

* * *

"Breakfast?" Alex asked cheerfully, as Izzie tiredly made her way into the kitchen.

Izzie shook her head. "No thanks," she mumbled, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting her head in her hands.

"Hangover's hitting you hard, huh?" Alex asked.

Izzie nodded mutely, her head still in her hands.

"I figured as much," Alex chuckled. "Here," he said, placing a large glass of water and a bottle of Advil in front of his wife. "That should help."

"Thanks," Izzie nodded, opening the bottle of Advil and removing two pills.

"So," Alex began, as Izzie took a sip of water, "just how much did you drink last night?"

Izzie shrugged. "I can't remember," she admitted. "And now's not the time for you to give me some self-righteous lecture about acting responsibly," she warned her husband.

"Hey, I wasn't going to say anything," Alex defended, putting his hands up innocently. "But, while we're on the subject, would you mind telling me _why_ you felt the need to drink like a frat boy last night?"

"Not now, Alex," Izzie pleaded, massaging her temples.

"Iz, we're gonna have to talk about it."

"I know," Izzie sighed. "And we will. But this is a serious conversation, and I'd rather not have it while I'm hungover."

"Okay," Alex agreed, as he sympathetically rubbed his wife's back. "Hey, Izzie?"

"What?"

"We are going to talk about this, right?"

"Yes, Alex," Izzie sighed. "We're gonna talk about it."

xxxxx

"So, I just had a weird phone conversation with Bizzy," Addison said, as she walked into her husband's office.

"Really?" Derek smirked. "Aren't most conversations with your mother kind of weird?"

"I guess," Addison nodded. "But I don't know, this one felt particularly strange."

"Why's that?" Derek asked.

Addison sighed. "She wanted to know what we were doing for Christmas."

"That's not that weird," Derek rationalized. "People tend to want to spend Christmas with their families."

"_People_ do. My mother…she's not exactly the family type. You know that."

"So, what'd you tell her?" Derek asked.

"I told her that I didn't know what we were doing for Christmas. I mean, if it were up to me, I'd want to spend Christmas here with you, Willa, Mark, Lexie, Alex, and Izzie. But I know that your mother really wants to see you…especially since your accident and all, so I didn't know what your family was planning."

"My mother was talking about flying the family out to Seattle to spend Christmas with us," Derek began. "But nothing's been finalized yet."

Addison met her husband's eyes and bit her lip in thought. "I mean, I guess we could invite both our families out here for Christmas," she said after a moment.

"Do you really want that?" Derek chuckled.

"No," Addison admitted. "But it's Christmas, and they're our family, and we want our daughter to know her family, so I guess I'd be okay with it."

"Can we still invite Mark, Lexie, Alex, and Izzie?" Derek asked.

"Definitely," Addison chuckled. "Though I'm just not sure if they'll be crazy enough to come."

"I wouldn't blame them if they didn't," Derek smirked.

Addison smiled before leaning in and kissing her husband chastely. "Me either."

xxxxx

"So, how'd your talk with Alex go?" Lexie asked, as Izzie sat down next to her at a cafeteria table.

Izzie sighed heavily. "It didn't go."

Lexie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought you said you were going to talk to him."

"I was planning on it," Izzie explained. "But, uh, he…he had his own news to share, so the timing wasn't right."

"Oh," Lexie nodded. "Wait, what kind of news did Alex have?"

Izzie glanced over her shoulder to make sure nobody was listening. "If I tell you, you have to promise me this stays between us."

"I promise," Lexie agreed.

"You can't even tell Mark."

"Okay," Lexie nodded.

"Alex has a job offer in New York…at Mt. Sinai. And he really wants it. And I…I don't want to move to New York. But at the same time, I…I…"

"You don't want him to feel like you're holding him back from a great opportunity," Lexie filled in.

"Exactly," Izzie nodded. "I don't want him ever to resent me."

"So what are you going to do?" Lexie asked.

"I don't know," Izzie admitted. "I really don't want to leave Seattle. But I don't know, maybe I'll apply for some jobs in New York. What do you think I should do?"

"Honestly?"

Izzie nodded. "Yeah. Honestly."

"You need to talk to Alex."

Izzie sighed heavily. "Yeah, I had a feeling you'd say that."

xxxxx

"Hey, how was your day?" Alex asked, as Izzie walked into their house and into the living room, where he was relaxing on the couch.

"Good," Izzie nodded. "How was yours?"

"It was good," Alex smiled. "Addison and I separated newborn conjoined twins today."

"That…that's great, I guess."

"It was," Alex nodded. "It looks like they're both going to be able to go on to lead normal lives."

Izzie smiled at her husband warmly. "Alex, we should talk," she said, suddenly growing serious.

Alex nodded, and turned to face her. "I know," he agreed. "Because, honestly, I don't know what I did or said that made you so upset. I mean, I'm assuming that it has something to do with possibly moving to New York. But I really think it could be a good opportunity for us career-wise."

"But what about our life here?" Izzie asked. "What about our lives outside of our careers? We have friends here, Alex. Our family is here."

"I know," Alex said quietly. "But I…I can't help thinking about the type of life we could have in New York. It could be something completely new and different for us."

"I'm not looking for new and different," Izzie admitted. "I like the way things are here. I'm looking to settle down...you know, become attendings…start a family. That kind of stuff."

"We can get jobs and start a family in New York," Alex pointed out.

"I know," Izzie sighed. "It just…it wouldn't be the same. I like spending holidays with the Shepherds. I like working with Derek and Addison and Mark and Lexie. And when I think about us having kids…I don't know, I always pictured our kids growing up with Willa and the twins. We won't have that in New York."

"I know," Alex nodded, running a hand through his hair. "And it's not like I haven't thought about that. I mean, Addison's the best friend I've had since…ever. And I don't want to leave her and Derek and Willa and Mark and Lexie. I get it. They're our family. I just…I don't want to regret turning down this career opportunity either."

"I get that," Izzie nodded. "And I would never want you to turn down an opportunity that means a lot to you. I just…I'm happy the way things are."

"I, uh, look, we don't have to decide anything for a couple of months," Alex began. "So, let's just table this discussion until after the holidays, and then we'll decide what to do. Okay?"

"Okay," Izzie nodded. "Hey, Alex?" she said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"You and me…we're gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah," Alex smiled, kissing his wife softly. "We're gonna be okay."

xxxxx

"I'm really glad the whole family was able to spend Christmas together," Carolyn smiled as she sat down next to Derek on the sofa.

"Me too," Derek agreed. Despite his and Addison's initial worries about inviting both of their families over for Christmas, everything seemed to be going fine.

"And Willa's adorable," Carolyn complimented. "She reminds me more and more of Addison every time I see her."

Derek chuckled at the sincerity of his mother's compliment, because he knew that there was a time, not that long ago, when those words coming from his mother's mouth wouldn't have been a compliment at all.

"She's amazing," Derek agreed with a smile. "And she's going to be such a good big sister."

Carolyn smiled warmly at her son. It was impossible not to see how happy he was – how happy Addison, Willa, and the twins made him. And that made her happy.

"You know, the grandchildren can't stop talking about how Uncle Derek and Aunt Addie are having twins," Carolyn smiled. "The whole family is really happy for you."

"Thank you," Derek said, grinning widely at his mother's words. "Addison and I are really happy. I mean, we both wanted another child, but this was beyond our wildest dreams. And we're just…we're really, really excited about this."

"I can tell," Carolyn smiled.

"And the twins…" Derek continued, always eager to gush about Monty and Shep. "They already have such different personalities."

Carolyn looked at her son in confusion. "How is that-"

"Our daughter…she's really active. She's always moving or kicking or something. But our son…he seems more relaxed. He kicks and moves around, but he's a lot calmer than his sister. Addison says it has more to do with their in-utero positions than anything else. But I don't think so. I think it's their different personalities coming through already."

Carolyn couldn't resist smiling at her son. When she had visited Derek, shortly before Willa's birth, she had been too busy trying to push Addison out of the picture to even realize how excited her son was about his impending fatherhood. But this time she couldn't miss it. "Your father would have been so proud of you," she told her son earnestly. "He'd be so proud of the life you've made."

Derek swallowed hard at the mention of his father. He was about to respond, when Nancy, Amelia, and Mark, who was carrying Willa, approached them.

"Hey," Derek smiled, as Mark put Willa down, and the little girl scrambled onto her father's lap.

Willa looked at her grandmother and smiled. "Having a tea party," she said. "Want to wear the pink hat?"

Carolyn looked from her granddaughter to her son. "How do you and Addison ever manage to say no to her?"

"It's tough," Derek admitted with chuckle.

"I'm physically incapable of it," Mark laughed. "I can only hope that the twins don't wrap everyone around their little fingers the way that Willa has us wrapped around hers."

"I'm still kind of bummed you're not having two more girls," Amelia chuckled, giving her brother a teasing smirk. "I mean, I kind of figured that you were destined to spend your life grossly outnumbered by women."

"He's still going to be outnumbered by women," Nancy pointed out smugly.

"Yeah, but at least I'll have someone to help me deal with crazy girl flip-outs," Derek laughed.

"Take that back," Nancy insisted.

Derek shook his head and gave his sister a teasing smile. "Hey, Willa," he said, turning his attention to his daughter. "Why don't you go have your tea party with Grandma, Uncle Mark, Aunt Nancy, and Aunt Amelia? It's been a long time since Aunt Nancy has had a tea party. You might have to show her how."

Willa nodded before hopping off her father's lap. She reached up for Nancy's hand. "Want to wear the blue hat, Aunt Nancy?"

Nancy looked down at her niece and smiled. "I'd love to wear the blue hat. Thank you, Willa."

"Welcome," Willa smiled.

Nancy looked from her niece to her brother. "Well, she certainly has your charm," she quipped.

Derek shook his head. "She's a mini Addison," he disagreed. "You should really go before your tea gets cold," he teased.

"Well, you can't argue with that logic," Nancy laughed, as Willa tightened her grip on Nancy's hand to lead her and everyone else over to her play table.

Derek couldn't help chuckling as he watched Willa walk away with Nancy, Mark, Amelia, and his mother. Mark was right; Willa really did have them all wrapped around her tiny finger.

"Hey," Addison said, as she sat down on the couch next to her husband.

"Hey," Derek smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "So, it looks like everything's going really well." he noted. "Everyone seems to be having a good time. Everyone seems to be getting along. I think we pulled it off."

"I don't know," Addison disagreed. "Something's not right."

Derek looked at his wife in confusion. Everything seemed alright to him.

"Bizzy's hardly drinking…which is _not_ my mother. And my family brought Susan out here with them, which seems-"

"It's Christmas," Derek pointed out. "And Christmas makes you want to be with the people you love," he continued, tightening his grip around his wife and pulling her in closer. "And thanks to my little run-in with your mother and Susan in the bathroom, a few Christmases ago, they don't have to keep their relationship a secret anymore. Maybe they just wanted to spend Christmas together."

Addison raised an eyebrow skeptically. "With me, my brother, and my father?"

"Sure, why not?" Derek shrugged. "It's Christmas. People spend Christmas with family."

"I know," Addison nodded. "But something about this whole situation still seems strange. And I just-"

"Hey, if it isn't my favorite sister and only brother-in-law," Archer cut in with a smirk, as he sat down on the couch next to Addison.

Addison looked at her brother closely. "Hey, Archer…is something going on with Bizzy."

Archer shrugged. "Probably. Isn't something always going on with Bizzy?"

Addison rolled her eyes. "That's not what I mean. It just…it seems like something's going on."

Archer gave his sister an evasive smile. "So, twins," he said, completely changing the topic of conversation. "I have to admit, twins kind of freak me out, but you two have already proven that you make cute kids, so I might actually be okay your twins."

"How generous of you," Derek muttered sarcastically.

"They're not identical, are they?" Archer asked.

Addison shook her head. "We're having a boy and a girl."

"Well that's good," Archer nodded. "Because there's something about identical twins in matching outfits that just-"

"Hey, Addison," Bizzy cut in, before Archer could finish being inappropriate.

Addison looked up at her mother. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you for a minute," Bizzy said. "Alone."

"Oh, um, okay," Addison nodded, getting up off the couch. "Why don't we go upstairs to the guestroom?"

"That sounds good," Bizzy agreed.

Archer and Derek both watched Addison and Bizzy's retreating forms before Archer turned his attention to Derek. "You don't have to go in to the hospital tonight, do you?" he asked his brother-in-law.

Derek shook his head. "No."

"Good," Archer nodded. "Because after her conversation with Bizzy, Addison's going to need you."

xxxxx

"So, your taste in decorating is interesting," Bizzy remarked, as her eyes scanned the guestroom. "You seem to have a lot of pictures of Willa."

"And your estate seems to have a lot of paintings by obscure French artists," Addison retorted smoothly.

"I wasn't criticizing, Addison."

"You weren't complimenting either."

Bizzy sighed heavily. "I, uh, it's nice…Willa clearly means a lot to you."

"Of course she does," Addison nodded. She looked at her mother questioningly. "Bizzy, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Bizzy swallowed hard. "I…I need you to save someone who means a lot to me."

"What?" Addison breathed, looking at her mother in confusion.

"Susan," Bizzy clarified, reaching into her purse, pulling out a packet of CT scans, and handing them to Addison. "Susan has uterine cancer. And I need you to save her."

"I, uh," Addison stammered, as she looked over the scans. "I…you, you should really have someone else operate on her."

"There is no one else," Bizzy insisted. "You're the best. And with her age and medical history, you're the only one I trust to operate. I need you to save her."

"Bizzy, I don't know," Addison said. "This looks really serious. The surgery that she'd have to undergo would be so intensive…she might not make it through it. Not to mention the recov-"

"Addison!" Bizzy interrupted, her eyes flashing angrily. "You'll save her!"

Addison quickly looked up from the scans in her hands. She saw the anger in mother's eyes, and for a second, she could have sworn that her mother was going to slap her.

"Bizzy, I-"

"Addison, you'll save her. It's not an option. It's not a request. It's an order."

xxxxx

"You know you can talk to me about this, right?" Derek asked his wife, later that night. He and Addison were lying in bed together. She was desperately scouring through Susan's medical files. He had a book in his hand, but he wasn't reading it; he was too concerned about her.

"Addie," he tried again when she didn't answer, rubbing her arm sympathetically.

Addison sighed heavily. "My mother put me in an impossible situation. I mean, she's expecting a miracle…no, she's _demanding _a miracle. And I don't know if I can give her that miracle."

"But..." Derek trailed off knowingly.

"But she's my mother, and you know how that goes."

Derek nodded. "You can't say no to your mother."

"Exactly," Addison sighed, turning her attention back to the scans in her hands. "And I just…Susan needs a hysterectomy to even have a fighting chance. But according to her medical records, when they tried to do that a couple of months ago, she coded on the table, and they had to resuscitate her. And all of the doctors that she's been to since then have strongly advised against trying to perform a hysterectomy again. But her cancer is too advanced for radiation or chemotherapy…so a hysterectomy, followed by radiation or chemotherapy, depending on if and how far the cancer has spread, seems like the only option."

"So you're going to operate?" Derek asked his wife. Technically, he didn't need to ask her; he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Addison nodded. "I called Richard a few hours ago, and asked him to book an OR for me for tomorrow. Karev's going to scrub in." Addison ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. "This kind of put a damper on Christmas."

"Hey, Christmas isn't over yet," Derek insisted, checking the clock on the nightstand.

"Honey, it's after 11," Addison pointed out.

"So? Come downstairs with me."

"Der, I have to be up early tomorrow for surgery."

"Come on, Addie, you and I both know that you're too worried about Susan's surgery to fall asleep right away. Besides," he continued with a grin, "if I know Shep, she's probably anything but calm right now." He brought his hand to his wife's stomach and rubbed the spot where their daughter tended to hang out, chuckling when he was met with a round of hard kicks against his hand.

Addison met her husband's eyes and smiled. "You may have a point," she admitted.

"See," Derek grinned. "You might as well come downstairs and enjoy what's left of Christmas with me."

"Okay," Addison conceded.

"Good," Derek smiled, as he and Addison got out of bed, and began making their way downstairs.

They sat down on the couch, and Derek immediately wrapped his arms around Addison. "I love you," he whispered against her hair.

She leaned in and kissed her husband softly, lightly raking her fingers through his wavy hair. He responded in kind, pulling her in closer, and deepening the kiss, his tongue meshing with hers. Addison was just about to remove Derek's t-shirt, when the pitter-patter of little feet made her think better of it. Addison and Derek quickly broke apart, and saw Willa padding over to them.

"Hey, Willa, what's up?" Addison asked her daughter, as Willa climbed onto her lap.

Willa looked up at her mother innocently. "Christmas over?" she asked.

Addison looked at the clock on the wall. "Just about," she chuckled.

Willa nodded. "Go back to bed?"

Derek smiled at his daughter. "You can stay down here with us," he smiled. "Just until Christmas is over."

"Okay," Willa nodded, snuggling up against her mother.

Addison protectively wrapped her arms around her daughter, and Derek wrapped his arms around her. "Just think," he whispered. "This time next year, Monty and Shep will be here. Next Christmas is going to be amazing."

Addison couldn't help smiling at her husband's words. He was right; next Christmas was going to be amazing. But she also realized that, despite Bizzy blindsiding her and asking her to pull off a miracle, this Christmas was pretty amazing too. She had Derek and Willa, who she loved more than anything, and Monty and Shep on the way. And she felt very, very lucky. She leaned in and kissed her husband gently. "Merry Christmas, Honey."

"Merry Christmas," Derek smiled.

"Merry Christmas," Willa murmured tiredly.

Derek looked down at his daughter and smiled. "Did you have a fun Christmas, Willa?"

"Uh-huh," Willa nodded.

"What was your favorite part?" Addison asked. Sure, she knew her daughter was tired, but there was something about making small talk with Willa and Derek that made her worries about Bizzy and Susan and tomorrow's surgery fade into the background.

Willa looked up at her mother and smiled. "Playing and presents," she answered. "Your favorite part?"

Addison smiled, as she looked from her daughter to her husband. "This," she said. "Definitely this."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you so much for your kind feedback on this story so far. I hope you're still with me! This is a long-ish chapter, so hopefully it makes up for the delay between chapters. I hope you like it, and as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

Addison walked into the kitchen, the next morning, and smiled at the sight of Derek and Willa sitting at the kitchen table together.

"Morning, Mommy," Willa greeted Addison cheerfully.

"Hey, Willa," Addison said, pressing a kiss to her daughter's temple, before sitting down next to her at the table. She leaned in and kissed her husband chastely. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," Derek smiled, meeting his wife's eyes, trying to detect any signs of fear or worry. Addison had every right to be worried – in a few hours, she was going to be performing a difficult and invasive surgery on her mother's lover, and Bizzy was only willing to accept one outcome: a successful one. "How are you holding up?" Derek asked Addison sympathetically.

Addison was about to respond, but she was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Addison looked down at her watch and frowned. "Mark and Lexie are really early," she noted. Addison and Derek had wanted to keep Willa away from the hospital while Susan was in surgery, so Mark and Lexie had agreed to take their niece out for breakfast, and drop her off at the hospital a little later in the day.

Addison opened the front door, but instead of finding Mark and Lexie, she saw her brother standing in front of her.

"Archer, what are you doing here?" Addison asked in confusion.

Archer gave his sister a smug smile. "Aren't you at least going to invite me inside?"

Addison rolled her eyes. "Come on in, Archer," she muttered, as the two of them made their way towards the kitchen.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece and my only brother-in-law," Archer smirked, as he and Addison joined Willa and Derek.

"It's nice to see you too, Archer," Derek muttered dryly, as Archer placed a kiss on Willa's forehead before sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Archer, what are you doing here?" Addison repeated.

"I'm here for breakfast," Archer grinned, reaching for the box of muesli on the kitchen table, and eyeing it critically. "Got anything else?"

"Why didn't you just eat breakfast in your hotel?" Addison asked, ignoring her brother's question. "I'm sure you could have ordered room service or something."

Archer shook his head. "Bizzy wanted us all to eat breakfast together in the hotel dining room…but she's pretty tense right now…worse than usual. And being around her…well, I want no part in that. So I decided to come here for breakfast. I figured you guys wouldn't mind."

"No, of course not," Derek muttered sarcastically. "Really, Archer, make yourself at home."

"Thank you," Archer grinned, completely missing (or purposefully ignoring) Derek's sarcasm. He turned to his niece. "Hey, Willa, would you mind telling your Uncle Archer where your mommy and daddy keep the good cereal?"

"Up high," Willa answered, pointing to one of the kitchen cabinets.

"Thanks, kid," Archer chuckled, getting up from the kitchen table to get some cereal.

Archer was working his way through a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, when the doorbell rang.

"Are you guys expecting company?" he asked Addison and Derek in confusion.

Addison nodded. "Mark and Lexie are going to take Willa out for breakfast. Derek and I want to keep her away from the family, this morning…you know, just in case."

"You're nervous," Archer accused, as Derek made his way towards the door to let Mark and Lexie inside.

"Of course I am," Addison shot back. "If something goes wrong in there today, I'll be responsible for Bizzy losing the person who means the most to her. Not to mention, I've known Susan forever. I don't exactly want to do this surgery."

"Then why are you?"

Addison met her brother's eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Because, it's Bizzy and Susan…and because I'm the best. And I know that if I were in Bizzy's position…if it were Derek or Willa who needed a life-saving surgery, I'd want the best. So I'm doing it."

Archer nodded sympathetically. "Better you than me," he smirked, trying to ease some of the tension.

Addison gave her brother a half-hearted smile, before turning her attention to her daughter, whose eyes were lighting up with excitement, as Derek reentered the kitchen with Mark and Lexie.

"Uncle Mark! Aunt Lexie!" Willa exclaimed excitedly, climbing down from her chair at the kitchen table, and toddling over to them.

"Hey, Little Buddy," Mark grinned, as he reached down and picked Willa up. "Are you ready to go out for breakfast with me and Aunt Lexie?"

Willa nodded happily.

"Thanks again for doing this on such short notice," Addison said.

"Please," Lexie insisted. "We love Willa. We're happy to do this."

"Hey, Willa," Derek said, as he accepted his daughter from Mark, and held her close. "Can you promise to be an extra good listener for Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie this morning?"

"Promise," Willa answered earnestly, meeting her father's eyes.

"Thanks, Sweetie," Derek smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's temple. He looked over at Addison. "We should probably think about heading to the hospital," he said gently.

Addison nodded reluctantly.

"Hey, Archer," Mark grinned, "you're more than welcome to come to breakfast with us if you want-"

But Addison cut him off with a headshake. "Archer's on Bizzy duty. There's no way, I'm letting my mother run loose in the hospital while I'm operating today."

"Some other time then," Mark chuckled; and Archer nodded in agreement.

Addison glanced down at her watch. "We really should get going," she said, as she stood up from the kitchen table, and walked over to where Derek was standing with Willa. "Have fun at breakfast with Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie," she told Willa, as she lovingly ran a hand through her daughter's hair.

Willa nodded; and Addison watched as Derek gently nudged their daughter, as the two shared an unspoken look of understanding.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Willa?"

"It's a beautiful day to save lives."

xxxxx

"We should do this with our kids," Mark smiled, as he cut Willa's chocolate chip pancakes into bite-sized pieces.

"Our kids?" Lexie asked in surprise.

Mark looked up from the pancakes he was cutting and met his fiancée's eyes. "I want kids someday."

"I do too," Lexie nodded. "Just _someday_. Not tomorrow."

"Right," Mark agreed, placing the plate of cut up pancakes in front of his niece. "We still have to get married. And you have to become a great surgeon…not that you're not a great surgeon already," he backpedaled. "And then…then I was thinking we could have kids."

Lexie gave her fiancé a loving smile. "Oh, yeah? What else were you thinking?"

"I was thinking three kids," Mark went on.

"Like the Shepherds?"

"I've always wanted three kids," Mark defended. "Two boys and a girl. And we could do things like this together…you know, go out for breakfast as a family."

"Sounds like a good life," Lexie grinned.

"Yeah," Mark said softly. "It does, doesn't it?"

xxxxx

"Hey, Yang, do you have a minute," Alex asked.

Cristina looked at Alex quizzically. "Don't you and Addison have surgery soon?"

"We do," Alex nodded. "But I need some advice."

"You have a wife. Ask her."

"I can't."

"So ask Addison," Cristina suggested.

Alex shook his head. "I can't. I need a neutral party. And not just a neutral party…I need your practicality…your lack of emotion…your robotic-"

"I think I get it," Cristina cut in. "So, what's the problem?"

"I got a job offer at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York," Alex explained. "I think it could be a great opportunity, but Izzie…she likes our life here, and-"

"The choice is easy," Cristina interrupted.

"Really?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Really," Cristina nodded. "I can't believe you're wasting my time with this."

"I don't think it's an easy choice," Alex defended.

"Look," Cristina began, rolling her eyes. "For reasons I'll never be able to understand, you thought it was a good idea to specialize in gynae-"

"Neonatal," Alex corrected.

"Whatever," Cristina said holding her hands up dismissively. "The point is that while you didn't choose the most hardcore specialty in the world, you-"

"Are you kidding me?" Alex cut in. "Neonatal is extremely badass. I do a lot of the same surgeries that you do…only on smaller, more delicate organs. Neonatal is-"

"Be that as it may," Cristina interrupted. "If you're going to specialize in neonatal, you're going to want to work with the best, right?"

Alex nodded. "Of course."

"And who's the best?" Cristina asked pedantically, as if she were talking to a four-year-old, and not a doctor.

"Addison," Alex admitted, a small smile forming his face.

"Exactly," Cristina nodded. "So you'd be an idiot…a bigger idiot than you already are…to move to New York when you're already working with the best. Are they offering you a head of department position in New York?"

Alex shook his head. "No."

"Then I think we're done here."

"Yeah," Alex chuckled. "I guess we are."

"Good," Cristina nodded. "I told you the choice was simple."

xxxxx

Derek leaned up against the glass in the OR gallery, trying to get a better view of the surgery that his wife was performing. He knew that Addison had performed riskier, more difficult surgeries in her career, but he couldn't remember the last time she performed such a high-stakes surgery.

"Derek, what are you doing in here?" he heard a familiar voice ask behind him.

Derek turned to face The Captain, who was standing behind him in the gallery. "Addison and I try to make a point of making it to each other's important surgeries," he explained, as he and The Captain sat down in two of the gallery seats. It's something we've done since med. school. What are you doing up here?"

"I wanted to watch Addison operate…and Bizzy asked me to watch and make sure everything was going okay."

"Oh," Derek nodded, as the two men silently watched Addison and her team operate on Susan.

"She's good," The Captain complimented after a while. "Very steady hand."

"She is good," Derek agreed, as he continued to watch his wife adoringly. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from his wife and looked at The Captain. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" The Captain asked in confusion.

"How do you sit here and play the role of the doting, supportive husband in a situation like this? I mean, most people would want no part in this type of charade."

"Because, in a way, I am the doting, supportive husband," The Captain explained. "Sure, I know that I'm not the love of Bizzy's life, and she knows that I've had my fair share of women during the time that we've been married but, at the end of the day, she's still my best friend…and I'm pretty sure she'd say the same about me. That's how I do it."

Derek nodded at his father-in-law's reasoning – a logic which simultaneously made no sense and perfect sense. That type of thing worked for the Montgomerys, but it wasn't for him. And he couldn't help remembering an exchange that he'd had with Addison, back when things between them were bad.

"_You know, there was a time when you thought of me as your best friend."  
_"_There was a time that I thought you were the love of my life. Things change."_

Sure, it was an idiotic thing for him to say to her at the time, but in hindsight, he was partially right – because things had changed. He now _knew _that Addison was his best friend, and he _knew_ that Addison was the love of his life. But things had changed and, over the years, she had become so much than that. She was the mother of his children, his confidant, and the only person he could imagine spending the rest of his life with. And he felt lucky – lucky that they didn't have the type of relationship that Bizzy and the Captain had. Lucky that he didn't have the type of incomplete relationship that he would have had if he had ended up with anyone but her.

"Shit, there's a bleeder," The Captain muttered, ripping Derek from his thoughts. "Damn it."

Derek quickly looked down at Addison and Alex, who were working furiously to keep Susan alive. "She's got it," he told his father-in-law reassuringly, as he continued to watch Addison work. He smiled when he noticed that Susan's BP had begun to stabilize. "She's got it," Derek repeated. "Everything's okay."

The Captain turned his attention away from where Addison was operating and met Derek's eyes. "That was close."

Derek shrugged nonchalantly. "She had it under control the whole time."

"Were you always this cocky?" The Captain asked.

"I'm not sure it's really cockiness," Derek defended; although it wasn't exactly a new accusation for him. "I'm just confident."

"And why's that?" The Captain challenged.

Derek chuckled, and gave The Captain a wide smile. "Because, like you said before, Addison's very good."

xxxxx

"You're incredible," Derek murmured, running his fingers through his wife's sex-tousled hair, as they lay together on her office couch.

Addison met her husband's eyes and smiled. "I'm going to need a little more context," she teased. "Are you talking about Susan's surgery? Or about what just happened in my office?" she asked coyly, gesturing to their naked bodies.

Derek chuckled. "Both."

"How diplomatic of you," Addison quipped. "But I do think Susan's going to be okay," she said, growing serious. "I mean, I'm still going to advise that she undergoes radiation but, I don't know, I think she's going to be okay."

Derek smiled at his wife warmly, before bringing his hand to her stomach, rubbing soft circles over their twins. "Do you think Bizzy's going to thank you?"

"I don't know," Addison admitted. "It's never been her way, and I know that about her. But I'm also at a place in my life where if she thanks me, that's great…but I don't need it. It is kind of strange though," Addison went on. "I thought that Bizzy would be in the waiting room, waiting to hear how Susan's surgery went. She was nowhere to be found when I got out of surgery."

"The Captain gave her the good news," Derek explained. "And she's not in the hospital. She knew it would take a while for Susan's anesthesia to wear off…so she took Willa shopping."

"What?" Addison asked in disbelief. "Bizzy willingly took Willa shopping?"

Derek nodded. "After she learned that Susan was in the clear, she asked me if she could take Willa shopping for a little while. And you know how impossible it is to say no to your mother. And her request seemed harmless enough, so I said yes."

"I still don't get it," Addison admitted. "Why would Bizzy want to take Willa shopping?"

Derek chuckled. "I try not to ask too many questions when it comes to your family."

xxxxx

"Alex," Izzie said hesitantly, as she entered the attendings' locker room, where he had paged her to meet him. "Alex," she repeated.

"Hey," Alex smiled, turning to meet Izzie's eyes; and Izzie looked at him in confusion, as she took in the navy blue scrubs he was wearing.

"What are you doing?" she asked her husband bewilderedly. "Why would you ask me to meet you in the attending's locker room? And why are you wearing navy scrubs?"

Alex smiled. "I think it's a good look for me…and I thought you should get used to it."

"Alex, what are you saying?"

"I want to stay in Seattle, Iz. I like our life here. I like our jobs here. I want to stay in Seattle."

"Seriously?"

Alex nodded. "Seriously."

A wide smile graced Izzie's features. "This is so…wow," she breathed, embracing her husband and kissing him deeply. "You promise me you won't resent me for this?" she asked when they broke apart.

"Why would I resent you?" Alex asked. "I want this. This is the best decision for me…for us…personally and professionally. So, no, I'll never resent you for this."

"Good," Izzie smiled, before leaning in and kissing her husband again. "Hey, where'd you get the navy scrubs anyway?"

Alex chuckled. "I stole them from Derek. They look good on me, don't they?"

Izzie smiled as she took in the happiness in her husband's eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen anything more perfect."

xxxxx

Addison was sitting at her desk, doing paperwork, when she heard a knock at her office door. She looked up from the papers in front of her, and saw Bizzy and Willa standing in the doorway, shopping bags in both of their hands.

"It looks like you two had a successful day," she smiled, as Bizzy and Willa walked into her office.

"We did," Bizzy confirmed, as she sat down across from Addison, while Willa climbed onto Addison's lap. "We got Willa a couple of dresses, and Willa helped me pick out a new purse."

Addison's eyes darted to the Chanel shopping bag on Bizzy's lap. "Willa helped you pick out a Chanel bag?" she asked in disbelief.

Bizzy shrugged. "She said it reminded her of the purse that you carry."

Addison looked down at her daughter and smiled, before meeting her mother's eyes. "I know The Captain told you this already, but it looks like Susan's going to pull through. I just, I wanted you to hear it from me as well."

Bizzy nodded. "Has she woken up yet?"

"Not yet," Addison said, checking her watch. "The anesthesia should wear off within the next hour. She's going to be in a fair bit of pain, but-"

"We can handle it," Bizzy filled in.

"Okay," Addison nodded. "But if you need anything-"

"I know," Bizzy nodded.

"Mommy," Willa said quietly.

Addison looked down at her daughter and smiled. "Yes, Willa?" she asked, grateful that her daughter had unknowingly ended what had been turning into an uncomfortable conversation.

"Gonna go to New York, one day, and shop with Bizzy."

"You are?" Addison asked in surprise, looking from her daughter to her mother.

Willa nodded. "Better stores there."

"There are better stores there," Addison agreed. "We'll have to plan a trip there some time." Addison turned to her mother questioningly. "You invited Willa to go shopping with you in New York?"

Bizzy shrugged. "I thought we might be able to squeeze it in some time…maybe the next time you fly out to see Derek's family."

Addison gave her mother a knowing smirk. Addison and Bizzy weren't close, but Addison knew her mother well enough to know that she was only giving her half the story. "And…"she trailed off expectantly.

"And nothing," Bizzy insisted dismissively.

"Bizzy," Addison pressed, unconvinced.

Bizzy sighed dramatically. "And I know your daughter can't help the fact that she's a child but, at times, I actually found myself enjoying being around her. She has a lot of your mannerisms…and she's not a bad little shopping partner."

Addison looked down at her daughter and smiled, before meeting her mother's gaze. "Why'd you do this, Bizzy?" she asked, holding her daughter close. "Why did you take Willa shopping?"

"Because," Bizzy began simply, as she watched Addison lovingly stroke Willa's hair. "Because today you saved the life of the woman who means everything to me…so I figured the least I could do was take the time to get to know the little girl who means everything to you."

Addison swallowed hard at her mother's words. She knew that Bizzy would probably never thank her for saving Susan's life, but Addison was okay with that – because the things that her mother had just said and done were much more meaningful.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thank you so much for your kind feedback on the last chapter and for sticking with this story. I can't believe it's already 17 chapters! Here's chapter 17; I hope you like it, and I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"Hey," Derek smiled, as he walked into the kitchen, and joined Addison and Willa at the table. "What are you two up to?"

Willa looked up at her father and smiled. "Valentine's Day cards for tomorrow."

"For her classmates," Addison added, as she continued to personalize the stack of Valentine's Day cards in front of her.

"Oh," Derek nodded. He turned to his wife. "Need any help? You could take the first half of her class, and I'll take the second half."

Addison shook her head, and gave her husband a teasing smile. "You have sloppy doctor's handwriting. Besides, I'm almost done."

"And, thankfully, so is this week," Derek grinned. "This weekend cannot come fast enough."

Addison met her husband's eyes and returned his smile. They had agreed to avoid all of the Valentine's Day hype by spending Valentine's Day with Willa. But that weekend they had planned a romantic getaway – just the two of them – figuring that these types of vacations would be few and far between once they were parents of three.

"And you're sure Alex and Izzie don't mind taking Willa for the entire weekend?" Addison confirmed. "Because I'm fine with just going away for one-"

"Addie, they were the ones who suggested that we go away for whole weekend," Derek reassured his wife. "I saw Izzie this morning, at work, and she already has a whole schedule planned out for this weekend."

"Well, she does have baby fever," Addison chuckled.

"She does," Derek agreed with a laugh. "Even I can tell."

"Aunt Izzie sick?" Willa asked in concern. "Aunt Izzie fever?"

Addison and Derek exchanged a look of amusement over their daughter's head. "Aunt Izzie's okay," Derek reassured Willa.

"No fever?" Willa asked cautiously.

"No fever," Derek chuckled.

"Hey, Willa," Addison cut in. "Which Valentine's Day card should we give to Joshua?"

Willa's eyes lit up at the mention of her friend, and as she studied the cards on the table carefully, Derek gave Addison a half-hearted smirk.

"You say things like that to torture me, don't you?" he asked teasingly.

Addison smiled. "I like how protective you are of her."

Derek looked from his wife to his daughter and smiled. "I'm her father. I can't help it."

xxxxx

"So, I know you're on-call tonight," Mark began, as he joined Lexie by the nurses' station. "Would you rather have Valentine's Day dinner in the hospital cafeteria? Or should I get Chinese take-out or pizza, and we could eat dinner together in an on-call room? Both are incredibly romantic, I know," he added sarcastically.

Lexie gave her fiancé a loving smile. "I'm fine with anything."

"You mean you're not upset that we have to spend Valentine's Day working?" Mark asked incredulously.

Lexie shrugged. "I mean, I'd rather not be working, but I never really bought into the whole Valentine's Day hype. Yes, it's nice to have a day where people go out of their way to be loving and romantic. But I don't need it."

"Really?"

"Really," Lexie smiled. "Because Valentine's Day is just one day…so who cares if I have to spend it working? The important thing is that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I'd gladly give up Valentine's Day for that."

Mark looked at his fiancée adoringly. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I do," Lexie nodded, before leaning in and kissing Mark chastely.

"Crap," Mark mumbled, as he retrieved his beeping pager from his pocket.

"Patient?" Lexie asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Lexie insisted. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," Mark agreed, as he turned to walk away.

"Hey, Mark?"

Mark stopped walking, turned, and met his fiancée's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Order pizza."

"What?"

"Tonight," Lexie laughed. "Order pizza for tonight."

xxxxx

"Really like Valentine's Day," Willa approved, as she settled down in bed for the night. Addison and Derek exchanged a smile. Willa was at the age where she was able to understand Valentine's Day, and since this was her last Valentine's Day as an only child, they had wanted to make it special for her.

It turned out that Mark and Lexie and Alex and Izzie were thinking along the same lines, and Willa had ended up with a lot of Valentine's Day gifts. Mark and Lexie had bought her a bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear; and Alex and Izzie had bought her chocolates and nail polish.

When Addison, Derek, and Willa returned home from the hospital that evening, Willa immediately gave them the Valentine's Day card that she had made for them in school. And they gave her a Valentine's Day gift – the start of a charm bracelet. They figured that they could continue to add charms to commemorate important events and achievements in Willa's life, but they decided to start out simple with a gold bracelet and a gold _W _charm.

"Hey, Willa, we have to take your charm bracelet off you," Addison said gently, reaching for her daughter's tiny wrist.

"Can't sleep with it on?" Willa asked in disappointment.

Addison shook her head no.

"Wear it tomorrow?" Willa asked hopefully, as Addison removed the bracelet from her wrist.

"You can wear it tomorrow," Addison promised her daughter, before putting the bracelet away in a small velvet box.

"Which bedtime story should we read you tonight?" Derek asked his daughter.

"Baby book," Willa smiled.

"Willa, are you sure you don't want to read an actual bedtime story?" Derek asked in amusement.

"Still need names," Willa pointed out.

"She has a point," Addison muttered dryly. Monty and Shep's due date was rapidly approaching, and Addison and Derek had yet to come up with a name for either baby. They quickly realized that it was no easy task coming up with two names that they both liked, that sounded good together and with Willa, and went with the last name Shepherd.

"Okay," Derek agreed. "Baby name book it is." He retrieved the book from Willa's bookshelf before turning to his daughter. "Do you want to look for a name for your brother or your sister tonight?"

"Brother," Willa smiled.

"Okay," Derek agreed, flipping the book open to a random page, under the boys' names section. "It looks like we're looking at names that start with the letter C tonight. Okay, here we go. Camden, Cameron, Campbell, Cam-"

"Campbell, as in the soup?" Addison interrupted. "What kind of name is that?"

"I didn't make it up?" Derek defended. "I'm just reading from the book."

"Don't like those names," Willa piped up.

"Me either, Sweetie," Addison agreed, stroking her daughter's hair lovingly.

"Okay," Derek chuckled before turning his attention back to the book in his hands. "Candler, Canton, Cary, Carina, Carissa, Car-"

"Wait, are we still on boys' names?" Addison asked in confusion. "Because Cary, Carina, and Carissa all sound like-"

"Unisex names," Derek filled in. "They're unisex, Honey."

"Girl named Carina in my class," Willa chimed in.

Derek chuckled and met his wife's eyes. "Well, do you like any of those names for Shep, then?"

Addison shook her head. "No."

"More names?" Willa asked, looking up at her father.

"Okay," Derek nodded. "Carl, Carlan, Carland, Carlos, Carris, Carson –"

"Wait, what about Carson?" Addison cut in quickly.

"For Monty or Shep?" Derek asked.

Addison shrugged. "Either. It works for a boy or a girl. Although, now that I think about it, a unisex name might not be the best idea for twins…" she trailed off.

"Yeah," Derek agreed. "We don't want there to be confusion about which one's the girl and which one's the boy. But I kind of like the name." He turned to his daughter. "What do you think, Willa? Do you like the name Carson?"

"Guess so," Willa shrugged.

"Let's make it a maybe," Addison suggested.

"Okay," Derek agreed, before returning to the book of baby names. "Let's just read a couple more names," he bargained. "It's getting late."

"Okay," Willa nodded.

"Alright, let's see," Derek said, trying to find his place in the book again. "Carsten, Carston, Cartel, Carter, Car-"

"Like Carter," Willa interrupted.

"Actually, I do too," Addison admitted.

"Carter," Derek smiled, testing out the name. "Carter Shepherd. I like it. A lot, actually."

"And it sounds good with Willa," Addison added.

Derek nodded in agreement, before locking eyes with his wife. "I think we just named our son."

He smiled at wife adoringly, before turning his attention to his daughter. "You're such a good big sister, already," he complimented, pressing a kiss to Willa's temple. "Thanks for helping Mommy and Daddy come up with a name for your brother."

"Welcome," Willa smiled. "Bedtime?" she asked tiredly, looking from her father to her mother.

Addison chuckled. "I think that sounds like a good idea." She gently kissed her daughter's cheek, and stroked her hair lovingly. "Goodnight, Willa," she said softly. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," Willa murmured tiredly, as Derek kissed her on the cheek, and tucked her into bed. "Night, Mommy. Night, Daddy."

"Goodnight, Willa" Derek smiled. "We love you."

"Love you too," Willa said.

Addison and Derek looked at each other and smiled. Willa was an affectionate little girl, but moments like this still made their hearts swell with happiness. And just when they thought it was impossible to love their daughter any more than they already did, Willa went and proved them wrong.

"Love you too, Carter."

xxxxx

"This is a really nice restaurant," Izzie smiled. "Very romantic."

"I'm glad you like it," Alex grinned. "Addison actually recommended it to me for tonight. It's one of her and Derek's favorites."

"Well, the Shepherds do have good taste," Izzie chuckled.

"They'd have to," Alex agreed. "They're friends with us. But I have to be honest with you," he began, lowering his voice a little. "As nice as this place is, all I can really think about is going home and having Valentine's Day sex."

Izzie smiled widely at her husbands words. They were certainly on the same page there, so she decided to push her luck. "Hey, Alex," she said hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking…how would you feel about trying for a baby soon?"

A wide smile spread across Alex's face. "Really?"

Izzie nodded. "I mean, if it's too soon, I get that. We're going to be attendings soon and that's obviously going to be crazy but, then again, work is always going to be crazy….and I think we've gotten past the craziest part of it…and I, I guess-"

"How soon can we start?" Alex cut in.

"What?" Izzie breathed.

"I want a baby with you," Alex smiled. "And I can't think of a better time to start trying."

Izzie couldn't help smiling at everything her husband had just said. She loved him so much, and wanted nothing more than to start a family with him.

"So, is tonight too soon to start?" Alex asked.

"No," Izzie grinned, meeting her husband's eyes. "Tonight sounds perfect."

Except somewhere between the restaurant and the drive home, something changed, and by the time they reached their house, Izzie was certain that tonight was not the best night for them to start trying for a baby.

"Hey, Alex," she breathed, as he slipped her dress over her head. "Let's use protection."

"But I thought-"

"I know," Izzie cut in. "But I, I, let's start tomorrow or the next day or something."

Alex looked at his wife in confusion.

"I, uh, uh…trying to conceive on Valentine's Day is so cliché," Izzie lied, even though she was pretty sure that there wasn't even an ounce of truth in that statement.

Alex shrugged. "If you say so."

Izzie did her best to give her husband a genuine smile. "Thank you," she said kissing him deeply.

"I love you," he murmured against her lips when they finally broke apart.

xxxxx

"Thanks again for offering to take Willa this weekend," Addison smiled at Alex and Izzie.

"We're happy to do it," Izzie insisted, as Derek handed Alex Willa's little overnight bag.

"Thank you," Addison said appreciatively. "But, seriously, if there are any problems, we're only a phone call away. And I –"

"Addison, everything's going to be fine," Alex promised. "Go. Have a good time. Because in less than two months, you two are going to have three kids under the age of four. Go away together now, while you still can."

"Oh, wait, but before you do," Izzie began. "I'm thinking about redecorating the guestroom, and I could really use your opinion."

"I'm assuming you're talking to my wife and not me," Derek chuckled.

"I am," Izzie nodded.

"Do Derek and I need to be a part of this conversation?" Alex asked hesitantly. "Or can we just hang out here with Willa?"

"You guys can stay here," Izzie chuckled, as she led Addison to the guestroom.

"So, you're redecorating?" Addison asked once they had reached the guestroom.

Izzie shrugged. "Maybe."

"But I thought-"

"Alex and I agreed to start trying for a baby," Izzie confided.

A wide smile spread across Addison's face. "That's such good news," she exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you two."

"The thing is," Izzie continued. "I don't know if I can."

"Do you think you might have fertility issues?" Addison asked in concern. "Because it's probably in your head. You know, I always thought that I'd have fertility problems…but, um, that's clearly-"

"It's not that," Izzie interrupted. "I just, I got pregnant when I was sixteen-years-old. And I gave birth to a little girl, Hannah. But I knew I couldn't keep her. I never had any intentions of keeping her. I mean, even at sixteen-years-old, I knew I couldn't give her the type of life she deserved."

"So, you gave her up for adoption?" Addison asked gently.

Izzie nodded. "I did. It's just, I hated everything about that pregnancy. The disappointment I caused my mother…the way the kids in school looked at me. I did everything I could not to form an emotional attachment to that baby…because, because it was the only way that I could think of to get through it all. So, I was indifferent the first time the baby kicked, and I didn't care about finding out the baby's gender. And now…" Izzie trailed off. "Now…"

"Now you want a baby with Alex, and you want all those experiences that you didn't allow yourself to have the first time around, but you feel guilty about that," Addison filled in. "Like it's in some way unfair to Hannah."

"I…yeah." Izzie sighed heavily. "And Alex wants a baby. Messed up family history and all, Alex wants a baby. And I want a baby with him, I just…I need to forgive myself first. I mean, I thought I had…but, clearly, I haven't moved past it."

"Izzie, there's nothing to forgive yourself for," Addison said gently. "The situations aren't the same. Deep down you know that. And even if your first pregnancy was a detached one, at the end of the day, you gave your daughter up for adoption because you knew you couldn't give her the type of life she deserved. That's completely selfless and loving."

"I know," Izzie nodded. "I just-"

"You need to cut yourself a break," Addison smiled. "You have to trust me on this one."

Addison got where Izzie was coming from – maybe a little too well. She had aborted Mark's baby. And, unlike Izzie, it wasn't that she didn't want a baby, and it wasn't that she didn't have the means to support a baby. But she wanted Derek. She wanted a baby with Derek. She always had.

She also knew that, at that dark point in her life, she wasn't ready to have a baby – with anyone. And while her abortion was certainly among the toughest decisions of her life, she couldn't look back on it too critically. Because she wouldn't have Willa – and she couldn't imagine her life without Willa in it.

"Hey, Addison," Izzie said, ripping Addison from her thoughts. "Uh, is everything okay?"

Addison nodded and met her friend's eyes. "You and Alex are going to be such great parents. You two deserve to be parents together. And, sure, you have a past. Who doesn't? But you also have a present and a future, and you…you deserve to enjoy that."

"So you don't subscribe to the whole 'you are your past' philosophy?" Izzie asked.

Addison shook her head no. "Your past will always be a part of who you are but, at some point, you need to move forward."

"I know," Izzie nodded.

"I know you do." Addison agreed with a smile. "You just needed to hear someone else say it. I get that."

"Thanks, Addison."

"You're welcome," Addison smiled, as she and Izzie left the guestroom together to go rejoin Derek, Alex, and Willa. "Hey, you know if you really want to show me your appreciation…when you and Alex do have a baby, you can make me the godmother," Addison teased.

"Please," Izzie smirked. "You know you've had that position locked up for years. Who else in the world could you see Alex choosing?"

"Point taken," Addison conceded. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt if you were on board with the decision too."

"Hey, Addison?"

"Yeah?"

"I've always been on board."

xxxxx

"I like the name Colette," Addison said, as she extended her toothbrush so that Derek could put toothpaste on it.

"You mean as a name for Shep?" Derek asked, before sticking his toothbrush in his mouth and brushing his teeth.

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

Derek stopped brushing his teeth and looked thoughtful. "No," he said after a minute.

"No?" Addison asked in disappointment, as she spit the toothpaste foam in her mouth out into the bathroom sink of their fancy hotel room.

"I don't like it," Derek said, meeting his wife's eyes. "I love it."

"Yeah?" Addison asked hopefully, not breaking eye contact with her husband.

"Yeah," Derek smiled.

"So…Willa, Carter, and Colette," Addison said after a moment. "I think I like the way that sounds."

Derek leaned in and kissed his wife tenderly, before taking the toothbrush from her hand and laying it down on the bathroom countertop, next to his. He took her hands in his and smiled at her adoringly before bringing both of their hands to her stomach.

"Willa, Carter, and Colette," he smiled, his eyes softening. "I think I love the way that sounds."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your feedback on the last chapter; I love hearing what you think! Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it and, as always, thank you for reading!

* * *

"So, which one am I feeling?" Derek asked, as he and Addison lay together in the darkness of their fancy hotel room, both of their hands resting on the swell of her stomach. Over the course of her pregnancy, they had gotten pretty good at telling which baby was moving or kicking, figuring that kicks high and to the right, up near Addison's ribcage, were coming from their daughter, and kicks low and to the left, down near Addison's pelvis, were coming from their son. But kicks near the center of Addison's stomach were anyone's guess.

"I think it's him," Addison said after a moment.

"Funny," Derek chuckled. "Because I was going to say that I thought it was her."

"You always think it's her," Addison teased, bringing her hand to rest over Derek's hand.

"Not always," Derek defended. "But you have to admit, it usually is."

Addison was about to respond when a loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightning cut her off. She looked at her husband in concern. "Willa's probably scared. Do you think we should call Alex and Izzie?"

"No," Derek chuckled. "I'm sure Willa's okay."

"Derek, you know she's afraid of thunderstorms."

Derek did know. Living in Seattle, they got their fair share of thunderstorms; and Willa frequently found her way into his and Addison's bedroom during the particularly loud ones.

"Derek, you know she's awake, and probably scared," Addison reasoned.

"I know," Derek nodded. Truth be told, he could almost imagine the adorable way that their three-year-old's eyes widened in fear at thunder and lightning. But as much as he wanted to talk to Willa and comfort her and tell her that there's nothing to be afraid of, he knew they couldn't call.

He met his wife's eyes and gave her a slight smile. "You can't call now, Addison," he began. "Because in the off chance that she's asleep and you call Alex and Izzie at this hour, and wake everyone up, you're going to look like a crazy person."

"Or a concerned mother," Addison countered.

"We'll call first thing tomorrow," Derek promised, kissing his wife softly. "I'm sure Alex and Izzie are more than capable of handling things on their own tonight."

xxxxx

"Uncle Alex…Aunt Izzie," Willa's trembling voice called out from the doorway of Alex and Izzie's bedroom.

Izzie rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. "Hey, Willa," she said comfortingly, sensing the fear in the little girl's voice. "Are you afraid of the storm?"

"Uh-huh," Willa nodded, making her way closer to Alex and Izzie's bed.

"Storms are scary," Izzie agreed sympathetically, as Alex tiredly rubbed his eyes. "Do you want to sleep in here with me and Uncle Alex tonight?"

"Yeah," Willa said quietly, as Izzie helped her up onto the bed, and positioned the little girl between herself and Alex.

"Okay," Izzie whispered soothingly, as she rubbed Willa's arm reassuringly. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

Willa trembled at the sound of a particularly loud clap of thunder, and met Izzie's eyes. "You're not scared?" she asked fearfully.

Izzie shook her head. "We have Uncle Alex here to protect us," she said, shooting her husband a wide smile.

Alex smiled as his niece cuddled up against him. "You don't need to be scared," he promised Willa, stroking her hair reassuringly. "You're safe in here. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Promise?" Willa asked hesitantly.

"I promise," Alex said soothingly. "I'll keep you safe."

Willa looked up at Alex and met his eyes. "And Aunt Izzie too?"

"Yeah," Alex chuckled, looking from his niece to his wife. "And Aunt Izzie too."

xxxxx

"Nice pajamas," Mark smirked, as Alex let him and Lexie into his and Izzie's house, the following morning.

"What do you expect?" Alex countered. It's nine in the morning on a Saturday, and we don't have to go into work until later. Why are you two so put together this early in the morning?"

"We stopped by the bakery that's making our wedding cake to pick up some samples," Lexie explained, gesturing to the bag in her hand. "Mark and I can't decide between two cakes, so we were hoping that you and Izzie give us your opinions."

"Sure," Alex smiled. "Cake tasting was my favorite part of the wedding process…you know, besides actually getting married," he backpedaled when he noticed that Lexie was shooting him a pretty serious glare.

"Cute," Lexie muttered dryly. "Where is your wife anyway?"

"She's in the kitchen with Willa making chocolate chip pancakes."

"Oh, I should go see if they need any help," Lexie grinned, making her way towards the kitchen, and leaving Mark and Alex alone together.

"So, how's babysitting going?" Mark asked.

"It's good," Alex nodded. "I mean, you know Willa…she's such an easygoing little kid."

"Surprising, considering who her parents are," Mark smirked.

"Speaking of which," Alex chuckled, as he gestured to his vibrating cell phone; Addison was calling him.

"I'm surprised it took her this long to call and check in," Mark laughed.

"You and me both," Alex grinned. "I should probably take this," he said, gesturing to his vibrating cell phone.

Alex chuckled, as he brought his phone to his ear. "Your kid is fine, Addison," he smirked into the phone, before Addison could even get a word in. "So stop worrying, and go back to enjoying your weekend with your husband."

xxxxx

"Thank you again for watching her this weekend," Addison said to Izzie.

"Are you kidding me?" Izzie chuckled. "It was our pleasure."

Addison and Derek had just returned home from their weekend away together, and when they went to pick Willa up from Alex and Izzie's house, Alex and Izzie insisted that they stay for dinner. Addison and Izzie were sitting on the couch, in Alex and Izzie's living room, while Derek and Alex were sitting on the living room floor, playing dolls with Willa.

"So, everything went alright?" Addison asked, lowering her voice, as she glanced at Derek, Alex, and Willa, a small smile playing on her lips. "Willa wasn't a human contraceptive?"

"Not even close," Izzie laughed, as her eyes followed Addison's gaze to where her husband, Derek, and Willa were playing together.

"Alex is really great with her," Addison said softly, reading Izzie's mind.

Izzie met her friend's eyes and smiled. "He is, isn't he?"

"He is," Addison agreed, turning her attention back to Willa, Derek, and Alex.

"So," Izzie began coyly. "How was your weekend?"

"It was good," Addison smiled. "We missed Willa, but it was nice to get away alone together."

"I bet it was," Izzie laughed, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Addison looked at Izzie and chuckled. "I'm not giving you details if that's what you're asking for."

"You and Derek are going to have three kids under the age of four," Izzie teased good-naturedly. "I'm pretty sure I can fill the details in on my own."

Addison chuckled. Izzie wasn't wrong. She and Derek had spent a good portion of the weekend in bed. But she and Derek had also spent a fair bit of time talking about their twins – picking out middle names for them, and discussing everything that they still needed to do before they were born. It was impossible not to see how undeniably excited they were about Carter and Colette; and it made her misty-eyed just thinking about how much she and Derek already loved their twins.

"So," Izzie said, ripping Addison from her thoughts. "Do you and Derek feel ready to go from having one child to having three?"

"Honestly…" Addison trailed off. "No. We're excited…but ready? I don't know if that's something we could ever fully be ready for."

"You guys are going to be fine," Izzie insisted. "You and Derek are amazing parents. Parents of the year, even. And Willa's going to be such a good big sister."

Addison smiled, as she turned her attention to her three-year-old, who was still playing with Derek and Alex. "She really is," Addison agreed. And as she continued to watch her daughter, she couldn't help thinking about all of the milestones that she and Derek had shared with Willa over the past three years.

Thinking about Willa's first word – _mama_ – never failed to bring a smile to her face.

And Willa's first Christmas was a memory that both she and Derek loved.

Willa's first manicure would always be a special memory for Addison.

And the story of Willa's first steps would always be a favorite among the Shepherds.

"_Derek," Addison called out, as she entered their house. She made her way into the living room, and couldn't help smiling at the sight in front of her – Willa, clad in her tiny purple pajamas, was crawling around on the living room floor, while Derek was recording her with the video camera on his phone._

"_Come on, Willa," he cooed encouragingly. "You can do it. Walk to Daddy."_

"_She took her first steps?" Addison asked, a mixture of excitement, surprise, and disappointment lacing her voice._

_Derek shook his head no. "She's close," he said, leaning in and giving his wife a kiss hello. "But you didn't miss anything. I don't know, though, I just…I have a feeling she's going to take her first steps tonight. I think she wanted to wait for you to come home first."_

_Addison smiled before bending down and picking up her one-year-old. "Mommy's home now, Willa," she cooed, cuddling her daughter close. "And Daddy and I can't wait to see you take your first steps."_

_They didn't have to wait long. Addison and Derek were sitting on the couch, watching their daughter crawl around on the floor, when all of a sudden, Willa used the couch to help herself up into a standing position, like she'd done several times in the past. But, this time, she let go of the couch, and began taking wobbly steps towards her mother and father._

"_Oh my god," Addison breathed, as she and Derek watched their daughter proudly; and, suddenly, she and Derek felt the urge to show their daughter just how proud they were of her._

_So they jumped off the couch excitedly and began clapping their hands for her and cheering things like, "Yay, Willa!" and "Good job!" – wanting their daughter to feel special._

_Only it didn't work that way. Their jumping and cheering ended up scaring Willa shitless, and the one-year-old immediately fell down out of fear, and began crying hysterically._

_Addison and Derek turned to each other, and exchanged a guilty smile, as they did their best to suppress a laugh._

"_Hey, Willa," Addison cooed soothingly, scooping her wailing daughter up off the ground and holding her close. "Mommy and Daddy are sorry. We didn't mean to scare you. We just wanted to show you how proud we were of you for taking your first steps. We're sorry we scared you," she smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her daughter's temple._

"_She's never going to want walk again," Derek chuckled, as he lightly stroked his daughter's cheek with his thumb._

_Addison smiled at her husband, before turning her attention back to her daughter, who was still whimpering softly. "We're so proud of you, Willa," she said, cuddling her baby girl close. _

"_We are," Derek agreed, gently kissing his daughter's forehead. He turned to his wife and smiled. "She's amazing," he said softly. "I mean, I know that babies take their first steps all the time…but this…this was adorable."_

_And Addison couldn't help smiling at her husband's words. But even more so, she couldn't help smiling at the whole situation. Her daughter had just taken her first steps – and that in itself was special. But what was even more special was that Addison had gotten to share that moment with Derek. And even though they had ended up scaring Willa with their excitement and praise, it was worth it. It's what made that moment different – it's what made it theirs._

"Hey, are you okay?" Izzie asked, cutting into Addison's thoughts. "I mean, one minute we were talking about Willa and what a good big sister she's going to be, and the next…"

"I'm okay," Addison chuckled. She looked over at Derek and Willa and smiled. Their past three years together had been amazing; and she couldn't wait for Carter and Colette to be born, and all of the new milestones in store for their soon-to-be family of five.

xxxxx

Addison didn't have to wait very long. Less than a month later, her water broke, and she and Derek were off to the hospital to welcome their twins into the world.

"Are you worried that they're five weeks early?" Derek asked his wife, doing his best to keep his attention on the road, as they drove to the hospital.

"A little," Addison confessed. She had known going in that carrying the twins to term would be a long shot. Twins were usually born early. And while Carter and Colette were early, they weren't dangerously early.

"They should be okay," Addison said doing her best to reassure both her husband and herself. "They'll probably just be a little on the smaller side."

Derek nodded. "How's the pain," he asked his wife in concern.

"Something I could live without," Addison admitted. "Although the contractions are still pretty far apart. Hey, do you remember the day Willa was born?" she asked, desperate to redirect the conversation to something other than contractions and pain.

"Are you kidding me?" Derek chuckled. "I think I've finally just regained feeling in my hand from you squeezing it so hard."

Addison rolled her eyes at her husband. "Are you expecting sympathy from me?" she chuckled. "Because you seemed to have conveniently left out the part of the story where I spent twenty-four hours in labor."

Derek grinned. "Yeah, but it was worth it," he said softly, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "You'd be the first one to admit it."

Addison nodded in agreement. "Completely worth it."

xxxxx

By the time they had reached the hospital and had gotten Addison set up, her contractions had severely worsened. And after running the necessary tests, they had decided that a c-section was the safest option.

"Okay," Addison's OB, Jane, smiled, once she had gotten Addison prepped and ready for surgery. "Let's meet your twins."

Derek watched, mesmerized, as Jane made the incision and, moments later, the OR was filled with the sound of crying, as Jane delivered Carter Blake Shepherd – Addison and Derek's son.

"He's perfect," Derek smiled, as he cut his son's umbilical cord, and took in Carter's dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He quickly met his wife's eyes, and smiled at her adoringly. "He's amazing," Derek breathed, smiling as Jane placed Carter in his outstretched arms. "I…I can't get over it. He's incredible."

"He is," Jane agreed with a smile. "But, unfortunately, we need to take him for a couple of minutes to run some tests and make sure he's healthy."

Derek nodded, and reluctantly handed his son over to one of the peds nurses. No sooner had he done that then did the fetal monitor began to beep frantically. Derek knew that beeping sound all too well, and he immediately turned to Addison, and swallowed hard as he registered the fear in her eyes.

"She's in distress," Addison choked out, going into doctor mode. "Derek…"

Derek swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, moved closer to his wife, and began stroking her hair reassuringly. "It's okay," he whispered, doing his best to ignore the deafening sound of the frantic beeping. "It's okay," he repeated soothingly, dividing his attention between his wife and Jane and her team, who were working as quickly as humanly possible to deliver his and Addison's daughter. "It's okay," he repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. "Nothing's going to happen to our baby girl."

The words had barely left his mouth, when Jane delivered his and Addison's daughter. The first thing Derek noticed was her bright red hair. The next was that her skin was tinged blue.

But it was Addison's tearful question that caused his world to stop.

"_Derek, why isn't she crying?"_


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: I wanted to get this chapter up sooner; hopefully, it's worth the wait. As always, thank you for your feedback, and thanks for reading!

* * *

"_Derek, why isn't she crying?"_

The question replayed itself over and over again in Derek's head, as he helplessly watched the scene unfolding in front of him.

He didn't hear Jane frantically page the resuscitation team and the head of pediatrics. He barely noticed when the team of paged doctors rushed into the OR. His eyes were glued to Colette – his tiny daughter, who was limp and blue, and who still wasn't crying.

He willed himself to look over at Addison, and felt his heart sink in his chest as he took in the sense of defeat – the utter look of helplessness – on her tear-stained face. And it was only when he saw that she was crying that he noticed the moisture on his own cheeks.

He swallowed hard as he watched the resuscitation team begin infant CPR on Colette.

"Careful," he choked out hoarsely. "She's really tiny."

As a doctor, he was supposed to be used to things like this. He was supposed to be immune to things like this. But as a father, he wasn't. As a father, it made him sick to his stomach to see his daughter suffering. As a father, it broke his heart.

He heard Addison begging Jane, who was in the process of stitching her back up, to have a resident take her place, and do the stitches, so that Jane could focus on Colette. And as he heard Jane reassure Addison that the head of pediatrics was very capable, Derek briefly turned his attention away from his daughter to comfort his wife.

"Does she have a heartbeat?" Addison asked Derek tearfully.

Derek looked at Jane questioningly.

"A faint one," Jane answered gently.

"I didn't…I didn't get to see her," Addison admitted sadly. "I…what does she look like?"

"Like you," Derek said softly, as he tucked a piece of red hair behind her ear. "Beautiful."

Addison looked at her husband, tears shining in both of their eyes, as they silently tried to do the impossible – comfort one another.

They knew it was an impossible feat that could only really be achieved by one thing and one thing only; and moments later, they heard it. The sound of soft whimpering. And never in his life had Derek been so happy to hear the sound of a baby crying.

"She's crying," he breathed, looking over at his daughter. "She's breathing."

"She is," Gloria Anderson, the head of pediatrics, confirmed. "Just not as well as we'd like," she added gently.

"But she _is_ breathing, right?" Derek repeated, as he watched his daughter's doctors place her in an incubator. Sure, Gloria had just told him that Colette was breathing, but he needed to hear it again. He needed the reassurance.

"She's breathing," Gloria nodded. "But we need to put her on a ventilator. Her lungs are underdeveloped, and she's at risk for Respiratory Distress Syndrome."

Derek swallowed hard at this. "What about brain damage?" he choked out, doctor-mode kicking in, as he remembered a basic tenet of neurology – brain damage was one of the consequences associated with a lack of oxygen.

Gloria gave Derek a sympathetic smile. "Brain damage and heart damage are very real possibilities," she said delicately. "We're going to run some tests on her."

"Is she strong enough for that?" Derek asked worriedly, feeling his brief moment of hope slipping further and further away from him.

"We're going to put her on a ventilator first," Gloria explained. "And, from there, we'll begin to assess everything else. But we need to get her to the NICU."

"Derek, go with her," Addison choked out.

Derek looked at his wife in confusion.

"Go with our daughter," Addison instructed, doing her best to keep her voice strong and controlled.

"Addie, I…" Derek stammered, as he watched Jane continue to stitch his wife up. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Addison insisted. "But Colette's little and scared and she needs someone in there fighting for her." She tearfully met her husband's eyes. "Please fight for her, Derek."

Derek nodded, not even bothering to wipe away the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. "I will," he said, taking his wife's hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckle. "I promise."

xxxxx

"How's she doing?"

Derek reluctantly tore his attention away from his daughter, at the sound of Izzie's voice.

"It's hard to tell," he sighed.

"How long has she been on the ventilator for?" Izzie asked.

Derek directed his eyes back to the machine that was keeping his daughter alive. "Three hours," he answered. "They checked her heart, and it's…it's stronger than it was when she was born. And they're pretty sure she doesn't have brain damage either. It's just her lungs…they don't think she can breathe on her own."

Izzie rubbed Derek's arm sympathetically. "It looks like she's got some color."

Derek nodded before meeting Izzie's eyes. "You should have seen her when she was born," he choked out. "She was so frail and blue. I…I've never…I've never felt more useless in my life."

Izzie swallowed hard, as she watched her friend's eyes mist over with tears. "You know," she began gently. "I bet Addison would really like an update on Colette. Why don't you go update her," she suggested. "And I'll stay here with Colette."

Derek looked at Izzie hesitantly, and Izzie's heart broke when she realized where Derek's hesitance was coming from. "She's still going to be here when you get back," Izzie reassured Derek gently. "Nothing's going to happen to her."

Derek nodded slowly. "I'll be right back," he promised, casting one last loving look at his daughter.

"Take your time," Izzie said reassuringly. "I need some time to get to know my goddaughter."

She watched Derek's retreating form before turning her attention back to her goddaughter; and as she did, she remembered how touched she'd been, just a few weeks earlier, when Addison and Derek had asked her and Alex if they'd be Colette's godparents (Archer and Amelia were Carter's).

"Hey, Colette," Izzie cooed softly, as she watched her tiny niece struggling to stay alive. "I'm your Aunt Izzie. I'm, uh, I'm also your godmother. I've…I've never been someone's godmother before, so I'm not really sure what it entails, but I promise that your Uncle Alex and I are going to do our best to be the best godparents we can."

She looked down at her fragile-looking niece and did everything she could to stifle the sob that was threatening to escape her throat. "I, uh, I know you're going to have a lot of people visiting you and telling you how much they want you to get better…and I want that too. But you're probably going to get a little tired of hearing it after a while, so I thought we could try something else."

Izzie quickly looked around to make sure that nobody was overhearing what she was telling her niece, and smiled when she saw that no one was in earshot. "I peed on a stick, this morning," she told her niece softly, a slight smile coming to her lips. "And it was positive. And you…you're the first person I've told. I haven't even told your uncle yet. I'll tell him soon," Izzie promised softly. "But right now, it's our little secret."

xxxxx

"Hey," Derek said gently, as he walked into Addison's hospital room.

Addison looked up at the sound of Derek's voice, and Derek felt his heart sink in his chest as he took in her red, teary eyes, and the look of despair on her face. He knew that had she not been holding Carter at the time, and trying to keep him calm and comfortable, she'd be in uncontrollable hysterics – and he wouldn't blame her.

"Is she…is she dead?" Addison asked shakily.

Derek shook his head quickly. "No," he breathed, doing his best to suppress the tears that were forming in his eyes. "She's on a ventilator. Her doctors don't think she's able to breathe well enough on her own yet. But her heart looks good. She's a little fighter, Addie."

"Derek, I have to see her."

"Addison, you just had major surgery."

"I know, but if something happens to her, and I never got to see her, I…I could never forgive myself."

Derek swallowed hard at this. "Let's see if we can strong-arm a nurse into letting you see Colette."

Addison nodded tearfully. As a doctor, who performed c-sections on a daily basis, she knew she wasn't ready to be up and moving yet. But as a mother, she felt like she had already waited too long.

"How's Carter?" Derek asked, as Addison gently placed their son into his extended arms.

"Perfect," Addison said, offering her husband a weak smile. "Four pounds, six ounces. Strong heart and lungs. Great complexion. He's perfect."

And as he looked down at the baby boy in his arms, Derek couldn't agree more with Addison's assessment of their son. "Hey, Carter," he whispered softly, smiling at how completely content Carter seemed in his arms.

"He looks just like you," Addison said after a moment; and Derek didn't even have to look at his wife to know that tears were spilling down her cheeks. What was supposed to be an incredible moment for them was, at best, bittersweet.

Derek turned his attention to Addison, who was desperately blinking back tears, and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Colette's going to be okay," he said, sounding much more confident than he actually felt.

"You should go check on her," Addison said tearfully. "And tell her I'll be there soon."

Derek nodded and placed a kiss on Carter's forehead. "I'll see you soon, okay, Carter?" he cooed, before handing his son back to Addison.

"Hey, Derek?" Addison began, as she held Carter close.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you talk to her. She likes the sound of your voice."

"What?" Derek asked in confusion.

Addison sighed. As much as she had tried to resist Derek's claims, throughout her pregnancy, that he could already see the twin's different personalities coming through, a part of her had to admit that he might have had a point. Because even though Derek had joked that Colette was responsive to anything and everything, Addison had noticed that Colette was especially responsive to the sound of her father's voice.

"Talk to her Derek," Addison repeated, doing her best not to break down. "Tell her a story."

"Okay," Derek nodded, kissing his wife and son one more time before making his way towards the door.

"Oh, and, Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Colette I love her."

xxxxx

"That was fast," Izzie said, not even bothering to turn around and confirm that it was Derek, when she heard footsteps approaching.

Derek sighed heavily. "It's hard to be anywhere else when you know that she's in here struggling," he said quietly.

Izzie nodded sadly, as she and Derek watched Colette in silence.

"She's really beautiful, isn't she?" Izzie said after a moment.

"Yeah," Derek agreed, not turning his attention away from his daughter.

"It looks like you could use a minute alone with her," Izzie noted, rubbing Derek's arm sympathetically. "I'll see you two later."

Derek looked up and met Izzie's eyes. "Thanks, Izzie," he said appreciatively. "And thank you for being here."

He watched Izzie walk away before turning his attention back to Colette; and as he continued to watch his daughter, he felt a lump build in his throat and hot tears prick his eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It didn't seem possible that his daughter, who had been so active and responsive in-utero could be lying there, so still, with so many tubes wires running in and out of her little body.

He was about to give in to the desperate sobs that were threatening to escape his throat, when he remembered Addison's words – _"Talk to her." "Tell her a story."_

He wracked his mind, trying to come up with a story to tell his daughter, but he came up blank. He couldn't remember any fairy tales or nursery rhymes; but something that Izzie had said had triggered a memory…a story. _"She's really is beautiful, isn't she?"_

"Hey, Colette," Derek said softly, doing his best to keep his voice calm and composed. "I'm going to tell you a story about the first case that your mom and I worked on together in Seattle. How does that sound?"

Derek swallowed hard. "At that point, your mom and I weren't on very good terms with each other, and she called me in for a consult on a newborn baby girl with an invasive mass. The mother had left…stuck around long enough to get the kid strung out, and left. I didn't want to operate. I thought it was a lost cause. The baby was premature, underweight, and addicted to narcotics. I thought there was no way that the baby would survive spinal surgery. And even if she did, I figured she'd just live a short, painful life filled with meningitis and seizures. So, I told your mom I wouldn't operate. But your mom…she fought. She told me I wasn't God, and said we had a responsibility to operate. I, of course, got petty…not my proudest moment. Anyway, I could see that your mom was getting upset because she knew I wasn't going to operate, and I told her not to do this…not to get attached, not to get involved…not to make her life more painful than it already was. But your mom kept insisting that the baby was a fighter, and had come so far already…and that she was alone and needed someone to fight for her. Your mom wanted to fight for her. But I thought she was fighting a losing battle, so I walked away…again, not my best moment."

Derek sighed heavily, as he continued to watch his daughter. "Do you want to hear how the story ends?" he asked soothingly. "I come off a lot better in the end," he chuckled. "Anyway, later that day, I wandered up to the NICU, and the preemie was still alive…and stronger. I was standing over her incubator, just looking at her in awe, when your mom walked in. She walked over and joined me by the preemie's incubator, and marveled over the fact that the baby's BP was stabilizing. And I told her that the baby was stronger since the morning. That there was no reason in the world why she should be stronger since the morning. I picked up the baby's chart, and consulted it seriously for the very first time, while you mom continued to watch the preemie…the preemie that, up until now, she had been the only one fighting for. 'She's really beautiful, isn't she?' your mom asked me. I hadn't seen it originally…what your mom had seen all along – the baby was beautiful, and deserved a chance. So I told your mom that if the baby made it through the night and had a little more strength, we'd operate. We operated on her the next morning, and she pulled through. She spent five months in the NICU recovering, but she made it. During that time, a couple who was looking to adopt heard about the baby we'd saved, and fell in love with her immediately. When they learned about her story, they reached out to your mom and me and thanked us profusely for taking a chance and fighting for their daughter. They named her Abigail. Abigail's a couple years older than Willa, and is a completely healthy and happy little girl. Her parents still send us pictures and updates from time to time."

Derek looked down at his daughter, and blinked back the tears that were stinging his eyes. "You have to pull through, Colette," he half-whispered, half-pleaded. "Your mom and I, and your sister and your brother…we love you, and…and…you have to pull through."

Derek felt himself beginning to lose his composure, so he did the only thing he could think of – he changed to topic back to the story that he had been telling his daughter.

"You know, after I agreed to operate on Abigail, your mom began walking towards me, and she told me that the way she saw it, we could deal with us in one of three ways. Option 1: She could apologize. I could forgive her, and come back home, and we could move on with our lives like adults. Or option 2: She could apologize. I could forgive her, come home, but I could still bring it up to use against her whenever we argue. When I asked her what the third option was, she kissed me, and said she didn't know what the third option was. She just knew that she still loved me."

Derek smiled for a moment at the memory before turning his attention back to his daughter. "You know, Colette, the way I see it, we could deal with this in one of three ways. Option 1: You could get better. We could get out of here, and go home, and live our lives…you, me, your mom, Willa, and Carter. Or option 2: You could get better. We could get out of here, go home, live our lives, but you can still use this to get things out of me…like, I don't know…a slightly more expensive car than the ones that your mom and I buy for your sister and brother when you all turn sixteen."

"What's the third option?"

Derek turned at the unmistakable voice.

"Addie," he choked out weakly, as Addison hobbled over to him, still clearly in pain from her surgery.

"So?" Addison pressed, as Derek moved to support her.

"I don't know what the third option is," Derek admitted vulnerably.

"Well, for us, it was get divorced, sleep together at a conference, get pregnant, have a beautiful baby girl, get remarried, and then go on to have twins."

Derek chuckled weakly. "I guess if she's anything like us, she'll pick option three," he said, wrapping his arms gently around his wife, and helping her walk over to Colette's incubator.

And even though Addison knew from a medical standpoint what to expect when she looked into her daughter's incubator, nothing could have prepared her for that moment. Nothing could have prepared her to see all those wires and tubes running in and out of her tiny baby girl.

She turned and met Derek's eyes, both of their eyes shining with tears. "She's beautiful," Addison whispered. "She's so, _so_ beautiful."

Addison turned her attention back to Colette, not even registering the immense amount of pain that her body was in. She wanted to memorize every last detail about her daughter.

"Hey, Addie," Derek said, after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"I know that we agreed on the middle name Elizabeth for her. But I was thinking…maybe…maybe we could go with Abigail…you know, after…"

"I know," Addison whispered, still refusing to look away from her daughter. "Colette Abigail Shepherd," she said quietly.

"If you don't like it, it's okay," Derek said quickly. "I was just thinking-"

"No," Addison interrupted. "I love it. It's perfect for her."

And Derek couldn't agree more, as he held his wife close, while the two of them continued to watch their little fighter.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback on the last chapter; it was probably one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you like this chapter and, as always, thanks for reading! :)

* * *

"Willa, there's someone we want you to meet," Derek began gently, as he led Willa into Addison's hospital room. He picked Willa up, and carefully placed her next to Addison, who was sitting upright in her hospital bed.

Addison pressed a kiss to her daughter's temple. "This is Carter," she smiled, angling the baby in her arms so that Willa could see her brother.

Willa's eyes widened in delight as she looked at her brother closely; "Very cute baby," she approved.

Addison and Derek shared a smile at this. "I'm glad you think so," Derek chuckled, lovingly running a hand through his daughter's hair.

And as Addison and Derek watched Willa and Carter get to know each other, they couldn't help exchanging a glance as they took in the bittersweet moment. It made their hearts melt watching Willa interact with Carter, telling him how much she loved him, as she gently stroked his tiny hand. But, at the same time, they couldn't help feeling incomplete – because there were supposed to be two babies in the room; because Willa was supposed to be meeting her baby brother_ and_ her baby sister.

And then Willa asked the question that they were dreading; the question they knew was coming, but still didn't feel prepared to answer.

They knew the question was inevitable. But that still didn't make it any less painful when Willa turned her attention away from her brother, and looked at her parents, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Where's Colette?"

xxxxx

"Izzie?" Alex called out softly, as he walked into the on-call room that his wife had paged him to – their favorite on-call room. It was the place where they had gotten engaged, and the on-call room they tended to choose when they needed a little mid-day pick-me-up.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked gently, as he sat down next to his wife on one of the on-call room beds.

He wasn't okay. It had been a tough, emotionally draining day for everyone. Colette wasn't out of the woods yet, and was still fighting for her life – and watching Addison and Derek's innocent baby girl struggle made everything inside him hurt.

Izzie ran a hand through her hair, and took in the pain-stricken look on her husband's face. "You're not okay," she assessed.

Alex shook his head. "It just, it doesn't seem fair," he said after a minute.

Izzie took her husband's hand and rubbed it reassuringly. "Colette's a fighter, Alex. She's going to pull through."

Alex sighed heavily before meeting his wife's eyes. "Sometimes even the best fighters lose." He wanted to believe Izzie. He wanted to believe more than anything that Colette was going to be okay; but he knew firsthand that life wasn't always kind.

"Let's talk about something else," Alex said, desperate to change the subject. "Let's talk about anything else."

"Okay," Izzie began slowly. "This may not be the best time for it, but you could use a little good news right now, so…" She met her husband's eyes and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Alex breathed in disbelief, a smile spreading across his face.

"I'm pregnant," Izzie repeated. It was all she could get out before Alex wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"You're happy?" Izzie asked once they had broken apart.

"Are you kidding me?" Alex grinned. "Of course I'm happy. You know how much I've wanted this. When did you find out?"

"This morning," Izzie answered. "I'd been feeling a little off for a couple of days, so this morning when I came into work, I grabbed a pregnancy test from the supply room, and it was positive."

Alex smiled widely at his wife's words. "But wait…" he trailed off in confusion. "Morning sickness usually doesn't kick in until a month or so after conception. You and I have only been trying for about three weeks, which means-"

"We were already pregnant when we decided to start trying," Izzie filled in, raising an eyebrow at her husband mischievously. "We're that good."

Alex chuckled at his wife's cockiness. "We should do an ultrasound," he said, suddenly growing serious. "To make sure that everything's okay…and so we can know for sure how far along you are. I can get one set up."

But Izzie was shaking her head vehemently. "I know you're good at anything pregnancy and baby-related," she began. "But, Alex, you're my husband, not my doctor. I want you by my side, not between my legs."

"Hmm, you seemed to be singing a different tune last night," Alex smirked.

"Oh, shut it," Izzie laughed, smacking her husband's bicep playfully, before growing serious. "So, we're in agreement on this?"

Alex nodded. "I'm your husband, not your doctor," he grinned before pulling Izzie in and kissing her deeply.

"You know," she murmured when they broke apart. "I can't help feeling a little guilty. I mean, I'm happy. I'm so, so happy, but-"

"Addison and Derek," Alex filled in knowingly.

"Yeah," Izzie breathed. "They're going through so much right now. And it…it doesn't feel fair."

Alex kissed his wife softly. "I know," he agreed. "It's not fair that Colette's in the NICU fighting for her life. But, Izzie, we're having a baby. And I think that makes it okay for us to be happy."

Izzie met her husband's eyes and smiled. "Good," she said softly. "Because I'm really happy."

xxxx

"You should have another cupcake," Lexie said, pushing a chocolate frosted cupcake towards Mark.

"Lexie, you've already fed me three cupcakes," Mark chuckled. "A person can only eat so many cupcakes."

"I know," Lexie conceded. "It's just, I feel so helpless, and I wanted to do something for Addison and Derek. So I thought I could bake them something. But then I remembered I'm a terrible baker, so I thought I could buy them some cupcakes."

"Lots of cupcakes," Mark corrected, gesturing to the several dozen cupcakes that were spread out across the cafeteria table that he and Lexie were sitting at.

"I may have gotten a little carried away," Lexie admitted. "I just, I hadn't planned on you being the only one to eat them. I mean, I obviously can't eat too many. I have a wedding dress to fit into in a couple of months. And I thought maybe Alex and Izzie might want some, but I don't know where they snuck off to. And maybe Addison and Derek will get hungry and want a cupcake, and-"

"I love you," Mark said, cutting Lexie off with a kiss. "I love that you do things like this. I love how much you care."

"Mark, they're my family. Of course I care."

"I know," Mark smiled. "It's one of the many reasons I love you."

Lexie smiled at her fiancé's words. "You really should have another cupcake," she encouraged, a pleading look in her eyes.

"You know that stuffing me with cupcakes isn't going to make Colette better," Mark said gently.

"I know," Lexie agreed sadly. "I just hate feeling so helpless, and I want to feel like I'm doing something…anything."

Mark nodded in understanding. "Hey, Lex?"

"Yeah?"

"Pass me another cupcake."

xxxxx

During the course of her career, Addison had watched several parents struggle to decide whether or not they should bring their toddler into the NICU to see their sick newborn sibling. And when she saw parents struggling with the decision, she usually called in a psychiatrist, who almost always said that it was a good idea for toddlers to see their siblings so that they could get a more concrete idea of what was actually happening. Addison would always nod along encouragingly as the psychiatrist spoke, figuring that the logic made perfect sense. And it did, until she found herself in that position, and it was her toddler and her sick baby at stake.

In the end, she and Derek decided that Willa should see Colette. That if the worst were to happen, and Willa had never gotten to see her sister, they'd never forgive themselves. She and Derek tried to explain things to Willa to lessen the shock that was bound to take place the first time Willa saw Colette; but Addison knew her daughter, and she knew that everything wasn't sinking in.

"So, remember, Willa, Colette isn't going to look the same as Carter," Derek told his daughter gently, cutting into Addison's thoughts.

Willa nodded earnestly. "Because Colette's a girl and Carter's a boy, right?"

"Well, uh, yeah," Derek stammered. "But remember what Mommy and I told you earlier? About how Colette's lungs still need to get stronger…so she's going to have some wires and tubes going in and out of her, and it may look a little scary."

Willa nodded. "Really want to meet her," she said with a smile; and Addison swallowed hard, knowing that her daughter was about to be blindsided, and that there was nothing more that she or Derek could do to make things easier.

Derek picked Willa up, and the three of them made their way into the NICU to see Colette.

"Willa, this is your sister, Colette," Addison said gently when they reached Colette's incubator. It took all of Addison's willpower to suppress the sob that was threatening to escape her own throat as she watched Colette struggle, and she quickly turned her attention to Willa, whose eyes were pooling with tears.

"No," the little girl breathed, as the tears began to run down her cheeks. "No," she choked out sadly.

"Derek," Addison said quietly, sensing that her daughter was on the verge of a meltdown. "Derek," she repeated, nodding towards the door, and silently communicating to her husband that they needed to get Willa out of the NICU.

Derek nodded in understanding. "You stay with Colette," he instructed. "I'll comfort Willa."

"Okay," Addison agreed, sighing heavily as she watched Derek carry a crying, trembling Willa out of the NICU.

As soon as they left the NICU, Willa's crying turned into full-fledged sobs.

"Not fair," the little girl wailed, as Derek held her close. "It's not fair."

"I know," Derek said soothingly, as he held Willa close, while she continued to cry hysterically. "You're right. It's not fair."

Willa looked up and met her father's eyes; and Derek felt his heart sink in his chest as he took in the pained expression on Willa's face. His three favorite girls – Addison, Willa, and Colette – were all in pain, and it broke his heart knowing that there was nothing he could do to fix that.

The sound of Willa hiccupping and breaking into fresh sobs ripped him from his thoughts; and he quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter, stroking her hair gently.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Willa," he whispered to his daughter, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And it's okay to be sad."

Willa nodded, doing her best to compose herself. When she finally regained some composure, she looked up at her father. "Daddy," she began hesitantly. "Is Colette going to die?"

Derek swallowed hard at his daughter's words, doing his best to keep his own tears at bay. "I hope not, Sweetie," he answered gently.

"Don't want her to die," Willa choked out, as new tears began to form in her eyes.

"I don't either," Derek agreed, stroking his daughter's hair gently.

"If I'm good…really, really good, can Colette come home?" Willa bargained, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her hands. "Promise I'll be really good."

Derek looked at his daughter, tears shining in both their eyes now. "You are such a good girl, Willa," he told his daughter, rubbing her arm reassuringly. "And what's happening to Colette isn't your fault. Sometimes babies are just born sick…and it's nobody's fault."

"Don't want Colette to be sick," Willa said tearfully.

"I don't want her to be sick either," Derek said gently. "Which is why it's important that we have doctors like your mom who help sick babies like Colette feel better."

Willa nodded in understanding. "Want to help sick babies when I get big."

A small smile spread across Derek's face, and he gently pressed a kiss to his daughter's temple. "I think you'd be very good at that," he smiled.

Willa looked at her father hesitantly. "Need to see Colette again."

"How about we wait until tomorrow?" Derek asked gently.

But Willa was vehemently shaking her head. "No. Want to see my sister."

"Okay," Derek agreed, as he carried Willa back to the NICU.

"Derek," Addison said in surprise, when she saw her husband reenter the NICU, holding Willa, whose eyes were red and puffy. "Are you sure this is a good-"

"It was her idea," Derek cut in. "And I think she'll be okay."

Addison nodded mutely, as she watched Willa look down at her sister, a pained expression on the little girl's face.

Willa looked up and met her mother's eyes. "Can I talk to her?"

A slight smile formed on Addison's lips. "Yeah," she breathed. "I think she'd like that."

Willa nodded before redirecting her attention to her sister. "Hi, Colette," she began hesitantly, tears pooling in her eyes. "Really want you to get better. Want you to come home…and you and me and Carter can play."

Willa looked up at her mother hesitantly, and Addison gave her daughter a reassuring smile. "You're such a good big sister," she complimented. "And Colette loves you very much."

Willa smiled at her mother's words before turning her attention back to Colette. And Addison could tell that her daughter was at a loss for things to say, so she decided to make things easier on her.

"You know, Colette," Addison began softly. "Willa loves getting her nails done, and when you get a little bigger, you, me, and Willa can all get our nails done together." She looked up at Willa and smiled. "How does that sound?"

"Good," Willa approved, her once-tear-filled eyes now lighting up with excitement.

Derek chuckled. "It sounds like Carter and I will have to plan a guys' day while you three are off doing that."

Addison met her husband's eyes and smiled. "It sounds like a pretty good life," she admitted.

"It sounds like a great life," Derek agreed. He looked down at Colette and smiled. "Now we just need you to get better so you can go home and enjoy it."

xxxxx

"He's such a calm baby," Derek smiled, as he cradled Carter in his arms.

Addison smiled at the sight of her husband and son together. "He really is," she agreed.

It had been a long, stressful day, and Addison and Derek were sitting together with Carter in Addison's hospital room doing their best to relax.

"I can't believe you gave birth less than twenty-four hours ago," Derek mused.

"I know," Addison agreed. "Today felt like an eternity. And, to be honest, I don't think time's going to move any faster for me until I know for sure that Colette's out of the woods."

Derek nodded in agreement. He couldn't have put it better himself.

"Hey, Derek?" Addison began hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" Derek asked in confusion. "You're the one who gave birth to our children today. What are you thanking me for?"

"For everything," Addison answered. "For staying with Colette when I couldn't. For comforting Willa. Today was a tough day, and it would have been so easy to walk away from it all…it would have been so easy to quit."

But Derek was vehemently shaking his head. He leaned in and kissed his wife softly. "If it wasn't you and me, it would be easy to walk away. If it wasn't you and me, it would be easy to quit. But we're Addison-and-Derek. And we don't quit."


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thank you so much for your nice feedback on the last chapter. I love hearing what you think! Here's the next chapter; I hope you like it. And as always, thanks so much for reading! :)

* * *

"He's a teeny McDreamy," Alex laughed, as he looked down at Carter, who was snuggled contently in his arms.

"Karev," Addison warned. "Unless you want to find yourself permanently assigned to the pit, don't even think about calling my son McDreamy."

"Okay, fine," Alex chuckled, giving Addison a teasing smirk. He turned his attention to Carter and smiled. "Your mom just saved you from a pretty bad nickname," he cooed.

"Who just got saved from a pretty bad nickname?" Derek asked, as he entered the living room with Mark. Derek was cradling Colette in his arms, and Mark was carrying Willa.

"Addison just made it very clear that we won't be calling Carter Teeny McDreamy," Izzie laughed.

"Oh," Derek grimaced. "We're not calling him that."

Alex chuckled at Derek's visceral reaction. "That being said," Alex grinned, glancing between the baby in his arms and Derek. "Carter looks just like you."

"And Colette's a mini Addison," Lexie added.

Alex and Lexie weren't wrong. Carter was a spitting image of Derek, with his dark brown hair and intense blue eyes; and Colette, with her bright red hair and pale, blue-green eyes, looked exactly like Addison.

It had been three weeks since the twins had been born. Colette had spent two difficult weeks in the NICU; but she had pulled through, and her doctors were confident that she would go on to live a normal, healthy life. And that was worth celebrating. So Addison and Derek had invited Mark, Lexie, Izzie, and Alex to their place to celebrate both twins finally being home from the hospital.

"So, Karev, how's work been?" Addison asked.

"It's good," Alex nodded. "I've pretty much got everything under control."

"What do you mean pretty much?" Addison asked warily.

"Well…" Alex trailed off as he and Izzie exchanged a smiled. "I know you're on maternity leave for another couple of months, but there's this one case I'd really like you to take a look at."

Addison nodded. "Tell me about it."

"Well," Alex smiled. "We've got a thirty-three year old female. Nine weeks pregnant. So far, no serious morning sickness-"

"Any underlying medical conditions we should know about?" Addison cut in. "Heart problems? Morbid obesity? History of-"

"Oh, no, there's nothing like that," Alex interrupted. "She's perfectly healthy."

"And the baby?" Addison asked. "Is there a problem with the baby?"

Alex smiled. "Not as far as I can tell. Everything looks pretty perfect to me."

"Then why exactly do you need me?" Addison asked in confusion. "It sounds like a pretty straightforward case. I think you're more than capable of taking the lead on this one."

"Oh, I agree," Alex chuckled. "It's just…my wife doesn't like the idea of me being her doctor."

A wide smile spread across Addison's face as Alex's words sunk in. "Wait a minute," she smiled, looking from Alex to Izzie. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Izzie nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh my god," Addison exclaimed, standing up and moving to hug Izzie. "Congratulations!"

And while Addison hugged Izzie, Derek, Mark, and Lexie offered their congratulations to Alex.

When the all the hugs and rounds of congratulations finally ended, Willa looked at her mother in confusion.

"Don't get it," she admitted.

Addison chuckled before choosing her words carefully. Sure, she didn't want Willa to feel left out, but she also knew that Izzie and Alex weren't out of the first trimester (or in the safe zone) yet, so she kept her words vague, and hoped it would be enough.

Addison looked at her daughter and smiled. "Aunt Izzie and Uncle Alex just shared very good news. So we were telling them how happy we are for them."

"Oh," Willa nodded, happy to be caught up on the adults' conversation. She looked over at Izzie and Alex and smiled. "Aunt Izzie…Uncle Alex…Very happy for you too."

xxxxx

"Thanks again for coming in today," Izzie smiled, as Addison led her and Alex into an empty exam room so she could perform Izzie's twelfth-week ultrasound. "I know you're still on maternity leave," Izzie continued. "And we really appreciate this."

"You don't have to thank me," Addison insisted. "You guys are family. I'm happy to do it." She turned to Izzie and smiled. "Why don't you get on the exam table…I'm just going to look at your chart."

After briefly consulting Izzie's chart, Addison looked up and met Izzie's eyes. "So, I'm pretty sure I know the answers to most of these questions, but for the sake of professionalism…"

"Ask away," Izzie grinned.

Addison nodded. "Okay…so, how've you been feeling?"

"Fine," Izzie smiled.

"Any morning sickness?"

Izzie shrugged. "Sometimes I feel a little nauseous, but it really hasn't been too bad."

"Lucky bitch," Addison muttered teasingly, as she thought back to the horrible morning sickness that she had experienced with both Willa and the twins. "And no physical discomfort or anything else I should know about?" she asked, switching back into professional mode.

Izzie shook her head. "No."

"Great," Addison smiled. "Let's get started then."

Izzie laid back on the exam table, and Addison began the ultrasound.

"Everything looks pretty perfect," Addison assessed after a moment, as she studied the screen in front of her carefully.

"It does, doesn't it?" Izzie agreed with a smile.

"Alex…" Addison trailed off, glancing over at her friend, who was sitting next to Izzie, his eyes glued to the image on the screen in front of him.

"I, uh," Alex stammered uncomfortably. "I…I have to go," he said, fumbling for his pager. "Patient," he stuttered, gesturing towards his pager, before quickly exiting the exam room.

Addison and Izzie watched his retreating form for a moment, before Addison turned to Izzie. "Did you hear-"

"No," Izzie filled in. "I didn't hear his pager go off."

Addison sighed. "Yeah. I didn't think so."

xxxxx

A few hours later, Addison was back home, sitting on her living room couch, holding Carter, while Colette napped in a nearby bassinette. She was just about to reach for one of her medical journals when she heard the doorbell ring.

Addison frowned in confusion. She wasn't expecting anyone. And the only people that she really wanted to see were at work. She made her way to the door, and opened it to find Alex standing there, looking defeated.

"Karev," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work?"

"I do," Alex nodded, as he followed Addison into the living room. "But I have a couple of hours before my next patient so…" he trailed off uncomfortably. "Hey, do you want me to hold one of the twins?" he offered, when he noticed that Colette was beginning to wake up.

Addison nodded appreciatively, before handing Alex Colette.

"Yeah, great, thanks," Alex muttered. "Give me the one that's crying."

Addison chuckled as she looked down at Carter, who was contently snuggled in her arms, before turning her attention to Alex, who was trying to soothe a very unhappy Colette. "Just call it a little retaliation for whatever it was that you pulled on Izzie at her appointment this morning," she smirked.

Alex nodded and looked down at Colette, who was still whimpering softly. "Hey, it's okay," he said reassuringly, trying to calm his niece down. "It's okay," he repeated gently, cuddling Colette close, smiling when she began to settle down and relax in his arms. He looked up at Addison and sighed heavily. "I messed up," he admitted flatly.

Addison nodded. "This morning with Izzie?"

"Yeah. I…I don't know what happened this morning. One minute, everything was fine. I was excited to see our baby. And then I saw it. And it looked like a baby. Up until this point, it hadn't really looked like a baby. But then seeing my child today…and seeing how perfect he or she looked…it just, it made everything start to feel real."

"But that's a good thing, right?" Addison asked, trying to follow Alex's line of reasoning.

"I," Alex hesitated. "You know about my father, right?"

"Alex, you're not him."

"You don't know that," Alex insisted. "I could be him. I could be a horrible father. And seeing my child today…my perfect little son or daughter…my child doesn't deserve that. Izzie doesn't deserve that."

"Alex, you're not him," Addison repeated more forcefully. "You couldn't be him if you tried."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you," Addison said. "I know you. You're one of my closest friends and we've worked together for the past five years. You're a talented doctor…we both know that. And you could have your pick of any specialty you wanted. But you chose neonatal. You _chose_ to devote your career to helping babies."

"I-"

"And do you think it's an accident that we asked you and Izzie to be Colette's godparents? Because it's not. You're great with her," Addison said, smiling at her daughter who was snuggled contently in Alex's arms. "And you're great with Carter. And Willa absolutely adores you." Addison looked up from her son and met Alex's eyes. "Do you remember the last time that Willa stayed with you and Izzie…when Derek and I went away for Valentine's Day?"

Alex nodded slowly.

"Did you know that for about a week afterwards, Willa went on and on about how you kept her and Izzie safe from the thunder storm?"

Alex chuckled. "Addison, that wasn't a big deal."

"Maybe not to you or me. But to a little girl who's afraid of thunder and lightning, and whose parents were away, it's a big deal. It's a very big deal."

"I don't know," Alex sighed.

"You're not your father," Addison said reassuringly. "And you have Izzie. And the two of you are going to be amazing parents."

"I just don't want to screw up," Alex admitted.

"You're gonna screw up," Addison chuckled. "You wouldn't be a parent if you didn't. But more often than not, you and Izzie are going to get it right. You just need to cut yourself a little slack."

Alex nodded. "I guess." He looked down at Colette and smiled. "You know, you have a pretty great mom," he cooed to the baby in his arms.

Addison smiled. "And in about six months, I'll be able to tell your kid that they have a pretty great dad."

Alex sighed. "So, uh…now what?"

Addison chuckled. "Now you find Izzie and apologize."

xxxxx

Alex knew Addison was right; he needed to apologize to his wife. He found her lounging on their living room couch, casually flipping through a magazine.

"Hey," Alex said, sitting down on the couch next to his wife. "About what happened this morning…I just, I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I guess I just-"

"I get it," Izzie said gently, taking her husband's hand and rubbing it reassuringly. "And you're wrong. You're not your father. You're the best guy I know."

Alex smiled. "Have you been talking to Addison?"

Izzie shook her head. "No. Why?"

"How did you know that I-"

"Alex, I'm married to you," Izzie cut in. "I know you...probably better than anyone else does."

Alex chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Izzie smiled and met her husband's eyes. "And because I know you, you have to take my word for it when I tell you that you're going to be a really good dad."

xxxxx

"So, my cell phone's on and fully charged, so if there's a problem, just call me," Addison said.

"Addison, it's just a couple of hours," Mark chuckled. "Lexie and I will be fine."

"I know," Addison agreed. "And you know that Derek's in surgery, but he has his cell phone on, just in case something comes up, and you can't get in touch with me. Also, Izzie's with him, and she always has her cell phone on her, so that's always an option as well."

"Addison, we've got everything under control," Mark insisted. "You have nothing to worry about."

Addison nodded. A month had passed, and her family and Derek's family were coming to Seattle tomorrow to celebrate Willa's fourth birthday, and to meet Carter and Colette, who were now two-and-a-half-months old.

Willa had decided that she wanted to celebrate turning four by getting her ears pierced, and Addison and Derek agreed that four was a good age for that – Willa would be old enough to appreciate and remember it.

They had chosen the day before Willa's birthday to get it done so that Willa could wear pretty earrings to her party; and Addison and Willa were about to head out to the mall to get Willa's ears pierced. This, of course, meant leaving Carter and Colette with Mark and Lexie. And even though Addison trusted Mark and Lexie completely, a part of her was still a little worried about leaving the twins.

"Thanks again for doing this," Addison smiled at Mark and Lexie. "Derek and I really appreciate it."

"We do," Derek agreed, as he joined everyone in the kitchen.

"Derek, what are you doing home?" Addison asked in confusion, while Derek gently placed kisses on the tops of Carter and Colette's heads. "I thought you were supposed to be in surgery now."

"I was supposed to operating now," Derek nodded, as he cuddled Colette against his chest. "But Izzie and I pushed up the surgery a few hours. Today's a big day for Willa, and I didn't want to miss it."

Addison smiled at her husband adoringly. "I guess we should probably go then," she said, taking Carter from Lexie, and kissing him repeatedly, before handing him back.

Derek nodded. "Where's Willa?"

"She went upstairs to her room to put her shoes on," Addison explained.

"Didn't she go up there like five minutes ago?" Lexie asked in confusion.

Derek chuckled. "Willa has a shoe collection that rivals Addison's. If I know her, she's probably still deciding which shoes to wear."

xxxxx

"Hey, Mark?" Lexie asked, once Addison, Derek, and Willa had left.

"Yeah?"

"Did Addison and Derek tell Willa what exactly ear piercing entails?"

Mark shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"Did they explain to her that you need to use an ear piercing gun to do an ear piercing?"

"I don't know," Mark admitted. "Why?"

Lexie chuckled. "I don't know. It's just, if they didn't explain it to her, I could see her getting scared and freaking out."

"I don't know," Mark disagreed.

"Really?" Lexie asked, looking at him pointedly.

"Okay," Mark conceded with a chuckle. "I could definitely see that happening."

xxxxx

"Don't want to get my ears pierced," Willa said, as she watched wide-eyed, as another little girl, a few years older than her, tearfully got her ears pierced.

"It only hurts for a second," Addison promised, as she rubbed Willa's back reassuringly. "Do you remember last summer when you got stung by a bee at the playground?"

"Uh-huh," Willa nodded. "Didn't like that."

"Well, this hurts less than that," Addison chuckled. "And after it's done, you'll have pretty earrings in your ears."

"I'm scared," Willa admitted shakily.

"It's okay to be scared," Derek smiled. "But you're going to be okay. I promise."

"Maybe get my ears pierced when I'm five," Willa bargained, as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

Addison felt her heart sink at this. Willa had been talking about getting her ears pierced for weeks, and she really wanted her daughter to conquer this fear.

"Would it make you feel better if Mommy got her ears pierced first, so you can see that it's not scary?" Addison bargained, the words coming out of her mouth before she even had time to reflect on what she was saying.

"You already have earrings," Willa sniffled. "How about Daddy?"

Derek and Addison exchanged a glance. "It'll close back up if you take it out right away," Addison told her husband.

Derek chuckled. "Addie, I have four sisters. I know how ear piercing works." He turned to his daughter and smiled. "Sure, Willa, Daddy will get his ear pierced."

Willa's eyes lit up in excitement. "Really?" she asked.

Derek nodded. "But you need to promise me that if I'm brave and get my ear pierced, you'll be brave and get your ears pierced."

"Promise," Willa agreed, as Derek sat down in the ear-piercing chair, and the beautician began to sterilize his earlobe.

"Which earring would you like?" the beautician asked Derek, gesturing to the selection of studs.

"Hey, Willa, which earring should I get?" Derek asked his daughter.

Willa studied the selection carefully. "The green one," she said finally. And Derek and Addison couldn't help exchanging a smile – emerald green was Willa's birthstone.

"Perfect choice," Derek complimented.

"Okay, are you ready," the beautician asked Derek.

"I am," Derek nodded. And with that, the beautician pierced Derek's left ear; and Derek did his best not to flinch. "See, Willa," he smiled. "It doesn't hurt that much."

"Pretty earring," Willa complimented, studying the green stud in Derek's ear closely. "You're very brave, Daddy."

"Thank you, Willa," Derek chuckled. "Now it's your turn to be brave."

"Okay," Willa agreed hesitantly, as Addison helped her into the ear-piercing chair.

"What color earrings do you want, Willa?" Addison asked, as the beautician began to sterilize Willa's earlobes.

"Purple," Willa said quietly.

"That's a great choice," Addison said enthusiastically, trying her best to relax her daughter. She took Willa's little hand in her own. "You can squeeze my hand as hard as you want," she told her daughter.

"Don't want to hurt you," Willa said.

"You won't," Addison chuckled. "But when I'm scared or hurting, I like to squeeze somebody's hand. It makes me feel better. So you can squeeze mine, okay?"

"Okay," Willa nodded, tightening her grip on her mother's hand.

"Are we ready?" the beautician asked.

Willa looked at her mother and nodded slightly.

"We are," Addison smiled. And one yelp of pain later, Willa had pierced ears.

"That hurt," Willa admitted, doing her best to blink back the tears that had come to her eyes.

Addison smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Daddy and I are so proud of you for being so brave."

"Only cried a little," Willa said.

"You did great," Derek reassured his daughter. "And your earrings look very pretty."

Willa smiled at her father's compliment, and instinctively brought her hand to her ear.

"Hey, why don't I treat you to frozen yogurt for being so brave?" Addison suggested.

Willa nodded happily. "And Daddy too?" she asked. "He was very, very brave."

Addison looked from her daughter to her husband and smiled. "Yeah, we can get Daddy some frozen yogurt too."

And as they made their way to get frozen yogurt, Addison turned to her husband. "So," she whispered, "how long were you thinking about keeping your earring in?"

Derek shrugged. "I guess I'll take it out tonight."

Addison nodded in approval. "You know," she began huskily. "It's kind of rebellious-looking."

Derek smiled. "Does that do something for you?" he asked discretely.

Addison nodded before raising an eyebrow coquettishly.

"Well," Derek whispered suggestively. "We may just need to do something about that tonight."

xxxxx

"Okay," Derek smiled, as he and Addison made their way into their bedroom. "Willa's asleep, the twins are down, and if all goes well, they shouldn't be up for another couple of hours…which leaves just you and me alone in our bedroom."

Addison smiled, before kissing her husband deeply, running her hands through his wavy hair; and Derek responded in kind, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist, and pulling her in closer so her body was pressed against his.

"Derek," Addison breathed. "Take out the earring?"

"What?" Derek panted in confusion.

"Take out the earring," Addison repeated.

"But I thought we were enacting a rebellious, bad boy fantasy.

Addison shook her head. "No."

Derek looked at his wife in confusion.

"The whole rebellious thing can be hot," Addison explained. "But what you did today…getting your ear pierced so that Willa wouldn't be afraid to get her ears pierced…that was amazing and incredible, and a huge turn on. So," Addison murmured kissing Derek tenderly. "Tonight, let's skip the bad boy fantasy. Tonight, all I want is you and me."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I feel like it's been ages since I've updated this story – so sorry about that! I hope you're still into it (I am!). This chapter is a long one, so hopefully that will kinda make up for the long gap between updates. I hope you like it, and as always, thank you so much for reading! I love your feedback!

* * *

"So, wait a minute, do you not have any single friends anymore?" Archer asked his sister in disgust.

"I have single friends," Addison defended. "But my closest friends are in committed relationships. I don't see how that affects you."

Archer shot his sister a pointed look, and Addison rolled her eyes in disgust. "This is a four-year-old's birthday party, Archer. Did you honestly come here with the intent of having random sex?"

"Addie, I'm surprised you even have to ask. You know as well as anyone that I go everywhere with the intent of having random sex. What am I supposed to do now?"

Addison shrugged nonchalantly. "You could continue talking to me. Or you could talk to Derek or Mark. Or you could hang out with Willa, or hold Carter or Colette. And talking to Bizzy and The Captain is always an option."

"Actually, talking to Bizzy is about to become a reality," Archer noted, as he and Addison watched their mother approach them, martini in hand.

"Addison," Bizzy greeted her daughter. "This is a very nice party."

"I'm glad you think so," Addison smiled. "Willa was really excited that you and The Captain could make it. And I'm glad that you're finally getting to meet Carter and Colette."

Bizzy nodded. "You won't take it personally if I don't hold them, will you? You know how I feel about babies."

"Bizzy, you hardly held us when we were babies," Archer pointed out. "Why would anyone expect you to hold your grandchildren?"

"It's fine," Addison cut in quickly before things could escalate between her mother and her brother. "I'm just glad you're here."

Archer shot his sister a wry smile. "In that case, I'm with Bizzy. Nothing against Carter or Colette or anything, but I'd rather not hold a baby if I didn't have to. So that's okay?"

Addison sighed heavily, prepared to insist upon her brother at least holding his godson once before the party was over, when Derek came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Sorry to interrupt," he apologized. "But I need you for a second."

Addison nodded at her husband's words, before excusing herself, leaving Bizzy and Archer to make small talk without her.

"Derek, where are we going?" Addison asked curiously, as he led her upstairs, away from where their guests were. "You realize we're being rude."

"This will only take a few minutes," he promised, opening the door to their master bathroom.

"Der, we can't," Addison protested. "Not now. We have guests downstairs."

Derek chuckled. "I didn't bring you up here for a quickie, Addie. Not that I'm opposed to it," he added, sitting down on the bathroom tile, motioning for her to join him. "It's just…do you remember last year?"

Addison nodded, as she thought back to Willa's birthday party, one year ago. It was shortly after her miscarriage, and she and Derek had spent a portion of the party sitting on the bathroom floor together, mourning their loss. So much had changed since then.

She met her husband's eyes and smiled, tears stinging her eyes, as she thought about everything – good and bad – that had happened over the year. "I love you, Derek," she murmured, kissing her husband tenderly.

"I love you too," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

"You know," Addison began. "If you would have told me last year that we'd be sitting here today, one year later, and that Mark and Lexie would be engaged, Alex and Izzie would be expecting a baby, and you and I would have the most adorable twins imaginable, I wouldn't have believed you. Not in a million years."

"I know," Derek agreed, smiling contently.

Addison leaned into her husband's chest, and Derek pressed a kiss to her temple. "Happy?" he murmured against her hair.

"Yeah," Addison whispered, lingering in her husband's embrace. "You?"

A wide smile spread across Derek's features. "Incredibly."

xxxxx

"Uncle Mark…Aunt Lexie," Willa smiled, as she made her way towards Mark and Lexie, who were sitting together on the living room couch.

"Hey, Little Buddy," Mark grinned, scooping Willa up and putting her on his lap. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Willa smiled. "Glad you came to my party."

"We wouldn't miss this for the world," Mark insisted, kissing the top of his niece's head. "You and I go way back."

"We do?" Willa asked in surprise.

"Of course we do," Mark nodded. "I remember the day you were born."

"Really?" Willa asked in delight.

Mark smiled at the memory. "Yeah. Your dad took me to see you in the nursery. And I picked you out right away…you were the cutest baby there. And I swear, as we watched you through the window of the nursery, you looked right at me. And I knew, at that moment, that you were gonna be my little buddy. I knew we'd be good friends."

"Best friends," Willa smiled.

"Best friends," Mark agreed with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Izzie cut in, dabbing at her moist eyes with a Kleenex, as Mark, Willa, and Lexie looked at her in confusion. "I wasn't planning on eavesdropping," Izzie explained, as she continued to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "But it just sort of happened, and you two are just so sweet together and, well…"

"Aunt Izzie sad?" Willa asked in concern.

"Hormones," Alex explained with a chuckle, squeezing his wife's hand reassuringly.

Mark and Lexie nodded in understanding, but Willa continued to stare at her aunt in bewilderment.

"Don't let Bizzy see," Willa warned Izzie, as she looked around the room trying to locate her grandmother. "She doesn't like crying."

Izzie chuckled at Willa's words. "Thanks for looking out for me, Willa."

"Welcome," Willa smiled. "Wanna see my room. Got a new blanket for my bed."

"Okay," Izzie agreed, reaching down, and taking Willa's hand.

"You can cry in my room," Willa said reassuringly.

"Thank you," Izzie laughed. "But I'm not sad anymore."

Willa nodded. "Uncle Alex come too," she said, reaching out her other hand towards Alex.

"Oh, uh, okay," Alex chuckled, taking Willa's other hand, as she led him and Izzie upstairs.

"She's adorable," Lexie smiled, as she and Mark watched Willa walk away with Alex and Izzie.

"I know," Mark agreed proudly. "You know," he began, growing serious. "The day she was born was a turning point for me…for my relationship with Addison and Derek. It's when I knew that the three of us were going to be okay."

"What do mean?" Lexie asked in confusion.

"You know about my history with Addison and Derek, right? You know about the cheating…and how Addison stayed with me after Derek left. You know about the abortion...and then the hostility between Addison, Derek, and me."

Lexie nodded. "Yeah."

"About halfway through Addison's pregnancy, she, Derek, and I had sorted things out. They were back together. I was happy for them. I had gotten my family back. But a part of me couldn't help wondering if things would change once their daughter was born. Because a baby would make things more real. And a part of me wondered whether when I saw their daughter…if I'd get jealous because…well…"

"Because it could have been your kid," Lexie filled in. "Had different decisions been made, it could have been you welcoming your baby into the world."

Mark nodded. "Only it was never like that. I fell in love with Willa the second I saw her. There was no jealousy or resentfulness or anything. I just…I loved her. And I knew then that things were the way the supposed to be."

Lexie smiled at her fiancé warmly. "You know, you're pretty much the best uncle Willa could ask for."

Mark chuckled. "I like to think I do okay."

"You do more than okay," Lexie reassured Mark, kissing him softly. "And, oh, yeah," she murmured when they broke apart. "You're pretty much the best fiancé I could ask for."

xxxxx

"Like my new blankets?" Willa asked Izzie and Alex, as she gestured to the purple and grey comforter set on her bed.

"Very pretty," Alex complimented. He turned to Izzie and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Is it me, or does her new comforter look the same as her old comforter?"

"It's different," Izzie chuckled. "Stop being such a guy. Hey, Willa?" Izzie asked, as she looked around the bedroom, her eyes landing on the books on Willa's bookshelf. "Why do you have a book of baby names?"

"Oh," Willa smiled, walking over to her bookshelf and retrieving the baby name book. "From when me and Mommy and Daddy were naming Carter and Colette," she explained, handing Izzie the book. "Want to look at names?"

Izzie and Alex exchanged a smile. They hadn't started discussing names yet.

Izzie gave Alex a slight nod, and Alex smiled widely. "Sure, Willa," he agreed, as he, Izzie and Willa sat down on Willa's bed together.

"Boy or girl?" Willa asked, looking up at Izzie.

"We don't know yet," Izzie said, meeting Alex's eyes and smiling. They were hoping they'd be able to find out the sex of their baby at their next appointment with Addison.

"Find out soon?" Willa asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Izzie nodded. "In a couple of weeks."

"Oh," Willa nodded. "Want a boy or a girl?"

Izzie smiled. In all honesty, she didn't care; she was just happy to be having a child with the man that she loved. "I'd be happy with a little boy or a little girl," Izzie answered. "Uncle Alex and I just want a healthy baby."

Willa nodded slowly, and Alex and Izzie watched the little girl's eyes cloud over. "Colette was sick when she was born," she said quietly.

"But she's okay now," Alex said reassuringly.

Willa bit her lip and met her uncle's eyes. "Colette cries a lot. More than Carter. I get scared when she cries."

Alex and Izzie exchanged a glance over Willa's head. Willa wasn't wrong – Colette cried a lot more than Carter did. But Colette was also a fussy baby; while Carter was arguably the most calm, low-key baby in all of Seattle.

Izzie pulled Willa onto her lap, and wracked her brain, trying to come up with a way to explain things in a way that her four-year-old niece could understand. "Some babies cry more than others," she said soothingly, as she watched a tear slide down Willa's cheek. "It's a good thing that Colette cries. It means she has strong lungs."

"Thought crying was bad," Willa sniffled, clearly unconvinced. "Cry when I'm sad or hurt or scared."

"Well, uh," Izzie stammered, still struggling to think of a way to simply explain things to Willa. "Uncle Alex is a baby doctor. And so is your mom. And they would know if something was wrong with Colette, right?"

"Guess so," Willa conceded half-heartedly.

"We would," Alex promised as he watched Izzie hold Willa close. And even though he felt horrible that Willa was worried about her sister, as he watched Izzie and Willa, he couldn't help thinking about what an amazing mother his wife was going to make. He met his wife's eyes. "Do you think we should-"

"Say something to Addison," Izzie filled in. "Yeah," she nodded. "It couldn't hurt."

xxxxx

"This really is a very nice party," a voice rang out; and Addison turned in surprise to see Carolyn standing there, holding Colette.

"I'm glad you think so," Addison smiled.

"I do," Carolyn nodded. "And I can't get enough of Colette. She's too precious for words."

Addison smiled at her mother-in-law's compliment. "Have you seen Carter?" she asked, gesturing across the room to where Archer was awkwardly holding his nephew. "He looks just like Derek."

"I have," Carolyn smiled. "He's adorable. And Derek…well, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy."

"What's that?" Derek cut in, as he joined his mother and Addison.

Carolyn smiled at her son warmly. "I was just saying it's nice to see you happy."

"Oh," Derek grinned, as he lovingly glanced at Colette, who was drifting off to sleep on Carolyn's shoulder. "I am happy. But speaking of which," he went on, looking across the room to where Addison's brother was holding Carter, "Archer doesn't look happy at all."

Addison followed her husband's gaze, and chuckled at how uncomfortable her brother looked holding his nephew.

"He does realize that Carter's a baby, not a trash bag, right?" Derek muttered, as he continued to watch Archer hold his godson as far away from himself as humanly possible.

"I think he's trying," Addison laughed, doing her best to defend her brother. "Babies have never been Archer's strong suit, you know that. I mean you remember all the stories about his neonatal rotation."

Derek grinned at his wife's words. Stories about Archer Montgomery's neonatal rotation – and all the designer clothes and shoes that were ruined in the process – were legendary. "Well, I'm glad your brother's holding Carter and not Colette," Derek said, rubbing his daughter's tiny back gently. "There's no way she'd stand for being held like that."

Addison chuckled at Derek's spot-on assessment of their twins, and Derek wrapped an arm around her waist, as they continued to make small talk with Carolyn.

"Okay, one of you needs to take him," Archer insisted, a few minutes later, as he joined Addison and Derek, and thrust Carter in their direction. "I've done my job. I've played the part of the good uncle and godfather, and held him. But I'm wearing Armani. And these shoes…well, they're –"

"I've got him," Derek chuckled, accepting his son from Archer and cuddling Carter against his chest.

Archer breathed a sigh of relief before glancing down at his clothes to confirm that they were still spit-up free. "So," he grinned. "Is it cake time yet?"

Addison looked down at her watch. "Actually, it is," she nodded. "I'll go get the cake ready."

"Do you need any help?" Carolyn offered.

Addison shot her mother-in-law an appreciative smile. "Thanks, but I'm okay. And even if I did need help, it doesn't look like Colette's willing to give you up," she laughed, as she smiled adoringly at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully on Carolyn's shoulder. "Archer, why don't you come help me."

"But I thought you said you didn't need any-"

But Addison cut him off with a disapproving headshake.

"Fine, I'll help," Archer conceded reluctantly, as he and Addison made their way towards the kitchen. "You know you really are turning into Bizzy."

Carolyn and Derek watched Addison and Archer's retreating forms, before Carolyn turned to her son. "It's embarrassing to think that I spent all those years hating her," she said quietly.

"It was a long time ago," Derek reminded his mother gently. Sure, Carolyn had treated Addison badly in the past, but they had all moved past that.

"I know," Carolyn agreed. "It's just, you'd have to be blind not to see how much she cares about you and Willa, and Carter, and Colette." She looked down and smiled as Colette shifted slightly against her shoulder. "I still can't get over how much Colette looks like Addison."

Derek nodded in agreement. "But she's a daddy's girl already."

Carolyn chuckled. "And Carter?"

"It's hard to tell," Derek admitted. "He's less discerning. He's happy as long as someone's holding him…even if that someone's Archer, apparently."

"And Willa reminds me so much of Addison," Carolyn added.

Derek smiled widely as he thought about his four-year-old, who loved clothes and shoes and tea parties, hated dirt and bugs, and who, as of recently, wanted to help sick babies just like her mother. "She's incredible," Derek smiled.

"I can't believe she's four," Carolyn admitted. "I mean, I still remember her first birthday like it was yesterday."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, as he thought back on the day. "So do I."

"_Okay, Willa," Addison said encouragingly. "Eat your birthday cake." She gestured towards the little personal birthday cake that Izzie had made for Willa; but Willa just stared at the cake._

"_That's funny," Archer chuckled. "Most of the one-year-olds I've seen can't wait to stick their little fists in their birthday cakes."_

_Amelia looked at Archer in surprise. "You go to one-year-olds' birthday parties? They don't really strike me as your scene."_

"_Hey, don't knock 'em 'til you try 'em," Archer insisted. "I've found that they're a great place to meet desperate, single women."_

"_Come on, Willa," Addison encouraged her one-year-old. "I think you're really going to like the cake Aunt Izzie baked for you." She took Willa's tiny hand, and dipped her daughter's finger in the cake's chocolate frosting, trying to get Willa to try the cake._

_But the second the frosting touched Willa's finger, the one-year-old got upset, and Addison and Derek exchanged a guilty smile. They both knew how much their daughter despised getting dirty._

"_Okay. It's okay," Derek said reassuringly, as he wiped the frosting from his daughter's finger with a napkin. "See, all better."_

"_She definitely has the class of a Montgomery," Bizzy approved, as she and The Captain watched Derek neatly cut a tiny piece of cake with a fork, and hold it out towards Willa._

"_Come on, Willa," Addison encouraged. "There are a lot of people here who are waiting to eat cake. And they're not going to eat their cake until you try your cake."_

_But Willa just stared at the cake disinterestedly; and Addison shot Derek a helpless look, as she and Derek silently negotiated their next move._

"_Hey, Willa, look how good your birthday cake is," Derek cooed, as he stuck a forkful of cake into Addison's mouth._

"_Derek," Addison hissed. "She's supposed to eat the first bite of cake."_

"_Yeah, but that's not happening," Derek chuckled, as Addison grabbed the fork from him, and cut another small bite of cake._

"_Look, Willa," Addison cooed, as she fed Derek a bite of cake._

"_Is anyone else having flashbacks of their first wedding?" Archer asked smugly, as Addison and Derek continued to feed each other birthday cake, while Willa looked on gleefully._

"_Okay, do you want to try some cake now, Willa?" Derek asked his daughter, as he cut another small bite of cake with his fork, and held it out to her, smiling when his one-year-old opened her mouth and ate it._

"_Good job, Willa," Addison encouraged, pressing a kiss to her daughter's temple, and exchanging a proud smile with her husband._

"_Mar," Willa gurgled, reaching her tiny hand out towards Mark._

"_Do you want to share your birthday cake with Uncle Mark?" Derek cooed._

"_Mar," Willa repeated, as Mark joined Willa by her highchair._

"_She's amazing," Derek said proudly, as he and Addison watched their daughter and Mark share Willa's birthday cake. "She's already got so much personality."_

"_Yeah," Addison agreed with a smile. "She's the greatest one-year-old I've ever met."_

"_Hey, Addie," Derek murmured, kissing his wife chastely._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'm glad we decided against the ice cream cake."_

Derek smiled at the memory. "It feels like we were just celebrating her first birthday," he admitted.

"I know," Carolyn agreed. She met her son's eyes and smiled. "She's a good kid, Derek. You and Addison are doing a great job with her."

"Thank you," Derek nodded. "We, uh, we should get in there," he said, gesturing towards the kitchen.

Carolyn nodded in agreement, and Derek led the way into the kitchen so that they could celebrate the four-year-old, who never failed to bring a smile to his face.

xxxxx

"I think the party went really well," Derek smiled, as he and Addison settled down for bed, later that night. "Willa was happy, and it seemed like everyone had a good time."

Addison nodded distractedly; she had something else on her mind. "Do you think we messed up, Derek?"

"I just told you I though the party was great," Derek insisted. "Of course we didn't mess up."

"That's not what I meant," Addison clarified. "With Willa. I just, I had no idea she was so worried about Colette. If Alex hadn't said anything to me, I never –"

"Addie," Derek cut in, rubbing his wife's arm reassuringly. "This isn't your fault."

"It feels like my fault," Addison disagreed. "I mean, I was prepared for her to be jealous of her new siblings or bored with them…but that never happened. And I thought she was fine…but I completely misread the situation."

"_We_ misread the situation," Derek corrected. "We just…we weren't thinking the way four-year-olds do. We pretty much went from Colette fighting for her life to Colette being perfectly fine without explaining the in-between to Willa…so it makes sense that Willa's worried about her sister ending up in the hospital again. I mean, think about Colette's first week home. I don't think either of us slept at all that entire week. I know I didn't. I was constantly worried about Colette's lungs giving out and her not being able to breathe. But I had you to vocalize those fears to. We had each other. Willa didn't have anyone."

Addison nodded sadly. "I get that. I just, I always felt like Willa and I had this special relationship…so it, it breaks my heart that she confided in Alex and Izzie…that she kept this from me."

"Addie, she's four-years-old. I'm sure she wasn't thinking about it in those terms."

Addison nodded. She knew her husband was right. But still, she was Willa's mother. She wanted to be the one her daughter came to when she was scared or upset or hurt. She was about to respond to Derek, when she was cut off by an unhappy cry over the baby monitor. Colette.

"I've got it," Addison said, reaching out and gently placing a hand on Derek's forearm.

"You sure?" Derek asked.

Addison nodded before rushing out of their bedroom, hoping to get to Colette before she had the chance to wake Carter up. "Hey, Colette," Addison cooed softly, lifting her daughter out of her bassinet, and carrying her out of her bedroom so as not to disturb her still peacefully sleeping son. "It's okay," Addison reassured her daughter soothingly, as she carried Colette into her and Derek's room.

"I missed holding them today," Addison confided to her husband, as she sat down on their bed, cradling Colette in her arms. Carter and Colette proven to be big hits at Willa's birthday, and everyone (with the exception of Bizzy and the Captain) had spent time holding them. "I really missed this."

The words had barely left her mouth, when Carter's unhappy cries sounded over the baby monitor.

"I'm on it," Derek said, making his way towards the door.

Addison watched her husband's retreating form before turning her attention back to the crying baby girl in her arms. "Hey, it's okay," she said reassuringly.

"Mommy."

Addison looked up from Colette to see Willa, clad in her lavender silk pajamas, standing in the doorway, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, Willa," Addison smiled, patting the empty space on the bed next to her, silently encouraging her daughter to join her on the bed. "Did your brother and sister wake you up?"

Willa shrugged evasively; and as Addison looked from Willa to Colette, who was still whimpering softly in her arms, she got an idea. She turned to Willa. "Do you want to hold Colette all by yourself?" she offered.

Willa quickly shook her head. "No. I…no."

Addison felt her heart sink at this. She and Derek had helped Willa hold the twins several times in the past, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Willa was always more eager to hold her brother than she was to hold her sister. Addison had never thought much of it, but now that small fact seemed glaringly obvious, and she mentally scolded herself for not realizing it earlier.

"You know, Colette's a lot stronger than she looks," Addison told her daughter. "And I bet she'd really like it if her big sister held her."

Willa looked at her mother hesitantly. "Okay," she conceded quietly. "But if she cries-"

"I'll take her back," Addison promised, as she gently placed Colette in Willa's arms, helping Willa support her sister's head.

Addison couldn't help smiling as she watched Willa cautiously hold Colette. "You're a really good big sister," she complimented after a moment.

"Thank you," Willa murmured, keeping her attention focused on Colette.

"Hey, Willa," Addison began cautiously. "Do you get scared when Colette cries?"

Willa hesitantly looked up from her sister and met her mother's eyes guiltily. "Yeah," the little girl admitted quietly.

Addison immediately pressed a kiss to her daughter's temple, and loosely wrapped an arm around her. "I know it was really scary seeing Colette with all of the wires and tubes running in and out of her body when she was first born. Mommy and Daddy were scared too. But she's okay now."

"Really?"

Addison nodded. "She's a fussy baby. But it's not because she's sick or hurt. She's just fussy and cries more than Carter does."

Willa nodded in understanding before turning her attention back to her sister. "I'm happy you're not sick anymore," she said softly.

Addison couldn't resist smiling as she watched her daughters together. And in that moment, she felt lucky – lucky to have two healthy babies; and lucky to have a sweet four-year-old, who was already proving to be a protective and caring big sister.

The sound of footsteps ripped her from her thoughts, and Addison looked up to see Derek, holding Carter, lingering in the doorway of their master bedroom, watching her, Willa, and Colette, a wide smile on his face.

"So, I take it everything worked out," he assessed, as he sat down on the bed.

Addison nodded mutely; and Willa turned her attention from Colette to her father. "I'm holding Colette all by myself," she told Derek proudly.

"I can see that," Derek chuckled. "You're doing a good job."

Willa nodded. "Colette might start crying," she warned her father. "But she's not sick. Just a fussy baby."

"Is that what Mommy told you?" Derek asked, shooting his wife a loving smile.

"Yeah," Willa nodded.

"Mommy's right," Derek agreed.

"Mommy's always right," Addison shot back playfully, loud enough for just her and Derek to hear, before turning her attention to her daughter. "Did you have a fun birthday, Willa?"

"Yeah," Willa grinned; and Addison and Derek couldn't help exchanging a smile over their daughter's head.

"She's amazing," Derek murmured, as he and Addison watched Willa hold her sister.

"Yeah," Addison agreed with a smile. "She's the best four-year-old I've ever met."

* * *

A/N: I've already started working on the next chapter, and in that chapter Alex and Izzie find out whether they're having a girl or a boy. The thing is…I keep changing my mind. Would love to hear your input! Thanks again for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback on the last chapter! I love hearing what you think! I also love the fact that the vote for whether Alex and Izzie should have a girl or a boy was split dead even. ;) Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's another long one! I hope you like it and, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"You know, never in a million years did I picture throwing Mark Sloan such a tame bachelor party," Archer chuckled.

Derek shook his head at his brother-in-law disapprovingly. "Remind me, again, what are you doing here, Archer?"

"Mark's one of my closest friends…one of the few male friends I have. Plus, I'm one of his groomsmen, and it would be wrong of me not to be here."

"I guess," Derek conceded. He smiled as Mark joined him, Archer, and Alex. "It's about time you got here," he teased.

"Sorry," Mark grinned. "I just dropped Lexie off at Joe's for her bachelorette party."

"Wait, I thought that was tomorrow afternoon," Alex said in confusion. "Because Izzie's over at Addie's place, right now, helping her with the kids."

"My fiancée has other friends besides your wives," Mark chuckled. "She's having two bachelorette parties. I guess she's drinking tonight with Meredith and Cristina, and spending the afternoon at the spa tomorrow with Izzie and Addison."

"Sounds complicated," Archer assessed. "So," he began, grinning at Mark mischievously. "It's not too late to change your mind about the strippers. Just say the word, and I'll-"

"No," Derek cut in. "No strippers."

"But there were strippers at your bachelor party," Archer pointed out.

"And they were terrible," Derek chuckled.

"They weren't that bad," Mark disagreed.

Derek rolled his eyes at Mark and Archer in amusement. "Anyway, I think we're past that stage in our lives."

"Oh, please," Archer persisted. "Enjoying strippers isn't a phase that you move past. It's one of the few constants. It's right up there with taxes and death."

"How profound," Derek muttered dryly.

"I feel like that belongs on a t-shirt or something," Alex chuckled.

Archer smiled widely. "So…" he trailed off, looking at Mark expectantly.

"I can't," Mark said. "Lexie's against them. And if these two want to have sex with their wives at some point in the foreseeable future," he added, gesturing towards Derek and Alex, "strippers probably aren't the way to go."

"Oh, don't worry about me on that front," Alex chuckled. "My wife's in her second trimester. Strippers may get me angry sex, but I'll still get sex."

"So, no strippers?" Archer pressed, trying once more to get his way.

Mark shook his head. "No strippers."

"Well, can I at least order us a decent bottle of scotch?" Archer asked, picking up a drink menu and skimming through it.

"Yeah," Mark grinned. "You can definitely do that."

xxxxx

"So, this doesn't seem so tough," Izzie observed as she and Addison lounged on the Shepherd's living room couch. "It's eight at night, and all three of your kids are asleep."

"For now," Addison chuckled. "Carter and Colette aren't sleeping through the night yet, and Willa's a light sleeper, so they usually end up waking her up at some point during the night."

The words had barely left Addison's mouth when unhappy cries sounded over the baby monitor; and Izzie did her best to stifle a laugh. "I guess I spoke too soon."

Addison nodded. "I'll be right back," she told her friend.

Moments later, she reappeared with two crying babies in her arms.

"Here, let me take one," Izzie offered, smiling as Addison handed her Carter. "Hey, it's okay," Izzie cooed reassuringly, as she cuddled Carter close. "I've got you. It's okay."

"You're great with him," Addison complimented, as she watched Izzie with Carter. "Actually, you're great with all my kids."

Izzie smiled at Addison's words, before turning her attention back to Carter, who was now snuggled contently in her arms. "I still can't believe how big he and Colette have gotten. It's crazy to think that your maternity leave is almost over."

"I know," Addison agreed. "I hope they do okay in the hospital daycare."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Izzie said reassuringly.

"Carter will be fine," Addison agreed. "He'll probably love it…because there'll be more people to hold him. But I'm worried about Colette. She's not as easygoing as her brother is."

"Yeah, but she's adorable, so we forgive her," Izzie grinned. Izzie smiled at her goddaughter lovingly. "She's gonna do great."

"I hope so," Addison sighed. "I'm ready to get back to work, though."

"I can imagine," Izzie nodded. "Who's your first patient?"

"You, actually."

"Seriously?"

Addison nodded. "Yeah. And if we're lucky, we should be able to tell if you and Alex are having a boy or a girl. You're planning on finding out, right?"

"Yeah," Izzie confirmed. "Alex and I both want to know. Plus, we're doctors, and Alex specializes in neonatal, so it would be pretty much impossible for us not to find out."

Addison chuckled. "Do you have any strong feelings either way?"

Izzie shook her head. "Actually, no. I don't really have a preference either, I guess."

"What do mean by you guess?" Addison prodded.

Izzie sighed in exasperation. "I mean, there are days where I think it would be easier to have a boy…you know, that way I could separate this pregnancy and this child from Hannah. But other days, I think that it'd be nice to have a little girl…you know, as a way to make up for the mistakes I made with Hannah. But at the end of the day –"

"At the end of the day, this new child isn't Hannah or some type of Hannah substitute," Addison cut in gently.

"I know," Izzie agreed quickly. "And I get that this baby is its own person, and I'm going to love him or her for who he or she is…I already do. It's just…I don't know."

"I get it," Addison said reassuringly. "Have you talked about this with Alex?"

"A little. I mean, we keep saying that all we want is a healthy baby and, at the end of the day, we do. But he knows I have my Hannah insecurities, and I know that he's terrified of having a son."

"But he'd be so good with a son," Addison said in surprise. She looked at Izzie pointedly. "Daddy issues?" she assessed.

Izzie nodded. "Exactly." She sighed heavily. "What if we're not cut out for this?"

"Are you kidding me?" Addison shot back. "You and Alex are definitely cut out for parenthood."

"Even with all of our issues and insecurities?"

Addison chuckled. "Every couple has issues and insecurities. You and Alex sound like almost every soon-to-be-parents I've ever met."

xxxxx

"So, we shouldn't be gone too long," Addison said, pressing a kiss to Colette's forehead, before handing her over to Derek.

"What do you mean, we?" Derek asked in confusion.

"Willa and I," Addison explained with a smile.

"Wait, Willa's going to Lexie's bachelorette party," Derek asked, concern clear in his voice.

"Honey, relax," Addison chuckled, kissing her husband chastely. "We're just going to a spa. And Lexie invited Willa."

Derek nodded tentatively, and Addison couldn't help smiling at how overprotective her husband was with their daughter.

"It's going to be fine," she reassured him. "Oh, and I called Archer, and asked him to stop by to give you a hand with Carter and Colette."

"You asked Archer to stop by?" Derek asked, cringing slightly. "That's like the opposite of calling in help. He's like a third child."

Addison laughed. "Come on, Derek, he's not that bad. And I think it would be good for him to bond with his niece and nephew."

"I guess," Derek conceded reluctantly.

"I'll make it up to you," Addison promised.

Derek raised an eyebrow coyly. "Yeah?"

Addison nodded before leaning in and kissing her husband deeply. "Yeah."

xxxxx

"This is really nice," Lexie smiled contently, leaning into her plush pedicure chair. "Thanks for organizing this."

"You don't need to thank us," Izzie insisted. "There's no way that we weren't going to throw you a bachelorette party…even if it meant throwing you a calmer, less traditional one."

"Well, I appreciate it," Lexie beamed. "And after last night, this is exactly what I need."

"It looks like you're not the only one who needs this," Addison chuckled, gesturing to the pedicure chair next to hers. Willa was leaning back into her pedicure chair, cucumber slices over her eyes, a look of pure contentment on her face.

"Okay, this may just be the hormones talking," Izzie began. "But this is seriously melting my heart."

"It's not just the hormones," Lexie insisted, a wide smile on her face. "This is too cute for words."

Addison couldn't help smiling, as she pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures of her undeniably adorable daughter. "So," she said, turning her attention to Lexie. "How was last night?"

"It was good," Lexie nodded.

"But…" Izzie trailed off knowingly.

"I didn't say there was a but," Lexie chuckled.

"But there is one," Izzie assessed. "So you might as well just tell us."

Lexie shook her head in amusement, but quickly grew serious. "Do you think it's wrong of me to have my father walk me down the aisle?"

"What? No. Why would that be wrong?" Addison asked in confusion.

"It's just, I worry about Meredith," Lexie confessed. "She and I have a decent relationship, and I know that he wasn't a good father to her, and I, I just don't want to hurt her."

"Did Meredith say something to you?" Izzie asked warily.

Lexie shook her head. "No. Of course not. But I've heard her complain about him enough in the past to know how she feels about him…and that's her right. It's just, she's one of my bridesmaids, and I don't want to hurt her."

"You're right," Izzie began. "If Meredith wants to be angry with your dad, that's her right. But her relationship with your dad has nothing to do with your relationship with your dad. And it's your wedding…it's supposed to be about you. And if you and your father had a good relationship, then he should walk you down the aisle…if that's what you want."

"And Meredith really doesn't have a reason to hold your relationship with your father against you," Addison inserted. "I mean, it's too bad that she never got to experience the same type of relationship that you have with your father…and I feel for her. But Meredith can't direct her anger towards you. I think she's smart enough to recognize that were the child in that situation, and you did nothing wrong. So, I'm with Izzie. If she wants to be angry with your father…fine, she can be angry. But I don't think she'll hold it against you if your father walks you down the aisle…and if she does, you shouldn't care. Because it's your wedding, and it's supposed to be about you."

"I know," Lexie agreed. "I know you're both right. It's just…I almost wish I could skip over the wedding and go straight to the honeymoon."

"Honeymoon's all about noise complaints," Willa piped up.

Addison's eyes widened in surprise, and Izzie and Lexie did their best to suppress a chuckle. "Where did you hear that?" Addison asked her daughter.

Willa carefully removed the cucumber slices from her eyes, and looked at her mother. "Uncle Mark," she answered innocently.

"Uncle Mark's right," Izzie laughed, shooting Lexie a teasing smirk.

"Yeah," Willa nodded. "Uncle Mark's always right."

xxxxx

Addison and Willa returned home a few hours later, and made their way towards the living room, where they could hear Archer speaking in hushed tones. And as they got closer, Addison couldn't help smiling at her brother, whose back was turned towards them, and who was holding Carter in his arms, a glass of scotch in his hand. Addison turned towards Willa, and pressed her index finger to her lips, encouraging her daughter to remain quiet, so they could continue watch Archer and Carter without being noticed.

"So, Carter, now that I've taught you how to pick up a woman when she's by herself," Archer began, "here's how you hit on a woman when she's with a group. You don't go up to the woman you actually want to take home…you act like you're interested in one of her less attractive friends. Sounds counterintuitive, I know. But, trust me, it works. The woman you're actually interested in will get insanely jealous. Then, you throw a couple of flirty looks her way and, bam…you're in business…especially if you're as good looking as your Uncle Archer."

Addison did her best to suppress a chuckle, as she watched her brother bond with his godson in a way that both warmed her heart and irritated her to no end all at once.

"But here's the thing," Archer went on. "Now that you know the tricks of the trade, you have to watch out for when guys try to pull those types of moves on your sisters. I know, I know, they need to make their own mistakes, but if you can spare them the occasional jerk or heartbreak, you should. It's your right as their brother."

"I hope you're listening, Carter," Addison cut in with a smile. "It sounds like Uncle Archer's giving you some good advice."

Archer turned at the sound of Addison's voice. "Oh, hey," he said in surprise. "I didn't realize you were there."

Addison chuckled as she took in her brother's very un-Archer outfit – a Columbia t-shirt and sweatpants. "Why are you wearing…are you wearing Derek's clothes?" she asked in confusion.

"I am," Archer nodded. "How could you even think these are my clothes? I mean, I don't even wear sweatpants to bed."

"Me either," Willa piped up.

"That's good," Archer approved, smiling at his niece lovingly. "That's very good." He turned to Addison. "I can see why Bizzy likes her so much."

Addison shook her head in amusement. "That still doesn't explain why you're wearing Derek's clothes."

"Oh," Archer smiled. "I didn't want to risk ruining mine with baby spit-up, so Derek offered to lend me some of his clothes."

"Speaking of which," Addison began. "Where is Derek anyway?"

Archer chuckled. "Colette spit up all over his shirt, so he went upstairs to change. I'll tell you one thing, though. Your husband earned my respect today. Colette got him good, and if it were me in that situation, I would have been gagging and vomiting all over the place. You remember med school. But Derek didn't even flinch. It was pretty impressive."

Addison laughed. "How long ago did Derek go upstairs?"

"I don't know," Archer shrugged. "I guess I must have lost track of time talking to Carter."

"I better go check on him," Addison said. She turned to her daughter. "Hey, Willa, do me a favor and keep an eye on your Uncle Archer, okay?"

"Okay," Willa agreed earnestly, before Addison turned and began making her way up the stairs.

"Derek," she called out, as she walked towards their master bedroom. "Der-"

But she cut herself off as she took in the sight in front of her – Colette and Derek were taking a nap together. Colette was sleeping on her back, and Derek was sleeping on his side, his arms around his daughter protectively, his cheek gently resting against the top of her head.

Addison stood there for a moment, just watching them, feeling her heart melt as she took in the look of pure contentment on her husband and daughter's faces. She could have stayed there all day, just watching Derek and Colette, but she quickly remembered that her brother was still downstairs with Willa and Carter, and could probably use her help. So she cast one last loving look at her husband and daughter, swearing to commit this moment to memory, before leaving the bedroom and making her way down the stairs.

xxxxx

"How's your first day back going?" Lexie asked, as she joined Addison by the nurses' station.

Addison smiled. "Good, so far."

"And Carter and Colette seem to be handling daycare well," Lexie noted. "At least, they both seemed happy when Mark and I went to check on them a little while ago."

Addison chuckled. As much as she swore things would be different this time around, Carter and Colette's first day in the hospital daycare was shaping up to be nearly identical to Willa's first day there – she, Derek, and their friends were constantly checking in on them.

"Have you visited them yet?" Lexie asked.

Addison nodded. "Twice already. I was actually just about to check on them again before I head off to meet Izzie and Alex for their appointment with me."

"Oh, right," Lexie smiled, remembering that today was a big day for the Karevs. She was about to say more, but the sound of her pager beeping cut her off. She looked down at it and frowned. "Patient," she mumbled. "I should go."

Addison nodded, watching Lexie's retreating form, before making her way to the hospital daycare to check up on Carter and Colette. But when she got there, she saw that the twins already had a visitor. Alex was standing there, watching her son and daughter, a look of uneasiness clear on his face.

"Okay, the symbolism here is painful," Addison teased, doing her best to lighten mood, as she joined Alex, Carter, and Colette.

Alex looked up from the twins, and gave Addison a forced smile.

"Come on," Addison began, placing a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder. "Today should be fun. Today changes nothing."

"Are you kidding me?" Alex disagreed. "Today changes everything."

"Yes and no," Addison conceded. "Sure, you'll find out if you're having a son or a daughter…and that's life changing. But at the same time, it doesn't change anything. Because, girl or boy, you're still going to love that baby with every fiber of your being. You're still going to be the best father your child could ask for. You're still going to be the guy who barbeques and teaches your kid to play catch."

Alex sighed heavily, keeping his eyes focused on Carter and Colette. "I want a daughter," he admitted guiltily. "I know I'm not my dad, but I still…I still, I think…"

"You're afraid to have a son," Addison filled in gently.

"Not afraid," Alex said, still not meeting Addison's eyes. "It's just…I feel like Willa's given me a good idea of what it would be like to have a little girl. And I feel like I can handle that. But the only father-son relationship I've ever known is my own crappy relationship with my dad…so I don't know if I'd be as good with a son."

"Alex, look at me."

"Addison, I-"

"Look at me," Addison repeated, waiting until Alex met her eyes.

"You think I'm being selfish," Alex assessed, finally daring to look into Addison's eyes. "Babies are born sick all the time…hell, Colette was born sick. And I'm standing here worrying about my baby's gender."

"I don't think you're selfish," Addison disagreed. "Because, at the end of the day, I don't think you really care if you have a son or a daughter. And even though you have your doubts, you're going to be an incredible father…and that won't change based on the gender of your baby."

"You really think so?" Alex asked uncertainly.

"I know so," Addison smiled.

Alex sighed. "I need to go meet Izzie. I promised her we'd walk to the appointment together."

Addison nodded. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Hey, Addison," Alex said, as he turned to leave the hospital daycare.

"Yeah?"

"Above all else, I really do want a healthy baby…but…"

Addison chuckled. "You want me to think pink for you?"

"Well, I uh-"

"I'll do it," Addison laughed. "But I think you and I both know that when it comes to that, I'm as good as useless."

xxxxx

"So, this is going to be a little cold," Addison warned as she squeezed some gel onto Izzie's exposed abdomen, and began scanning. "Everything looks good," she said after a moment. "Everything looks really good."

"Really?" Izzie breathed.

"Really," Addison nodded, offering her friends a genuine smile. "Completely healthy."

"And…" Izzie pressed, exchanging a quick glance with her husband.

"And…" Addison smiled, "you two are having a little boy. Congratulations."

"A boy," Izzie breathed, a wide smile coming to her face.

Addison nodded. "Here, take a look," she said, tilting the screen so that Izzie could get a better look at her son.

"He's perfect," Izzie smiled, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She would have been happy either way; but, secretly, she had been hoping for a boy – a son who she hoped would grow up to be like his father. "He's so perfect."

"He is," Addison agreed, stealing a look at Alex, who looked surprisingly put together, given the conversation that they'd had just moments earlier. But one glance at Izzie told her that Izzie wasn't buying Alex's whole put together act – that she could see the cracks in his veneer. "Why don't I give you two a minute alone," she offered, before making her way out of the room. "Congratulations again."

"Thank you," Izzie smiled. She watched Addison's retreating form, waiting until she had left the room, before turning to her husband. "Okay, say something."

Alex met his wife's eyes. "I'm happy our baby's healthy."

"I am too," Izzie agreed genuinely. "But are you sure there's nothing else you want to say?"

"Why would there be anything else I want to say?" Alex asked. "I wanted a healthy baby. I'm getting a healthy baby. I'm happy. Can't we just leave it at that?"

"You're also having a son," Izzie said gently.

"I know," Alex nodded.

"Do you?" Izzie challenged.

"Of course I do. I was sitting there next to you when Addison did the ultrasound."

"That's not what I meant, Alex."

Alex sighed. "Are you upset that I didn't have some type of big reaction?"

"You didn't have _any_ type of reaction." Izzie ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I know you're worried about having a son. I get that. But we're having a son…and you not talking about it or not acknowledging it isn't going to change that. So-"

"You're right," Alex cut in quietly. "I am worried about having a son. And I obviously knew that we might have a boy. And I was prepared for it. I was okay with it…at least I thought I was."

"But you're not okay with it?" Izzie asked in confusion.

"I…" Alex hesitated. "I think I would have had trouble today either way," he finally admitted. "To tell the truth, I always figured that guys like me weren't supposed to have kids. But then I met you, and having kids with you became something I wanted…something I still want. And it's not that I'm not happy about this, because I am. It's just, I guess…I guess I still remember being that scared little kid, sitting in my bedroom, feeling helpless, as I overheard my mother's muffled screams, coming from downstairs, interspersed between slaps and punches and god only knows what else. Or I remember being the teenager who took up wrestling, not because it was something I was interested in…but because I knew that if I was going to fight back against my old man, I needed to win. I needed to show him that he could no longer just go around beating the crap out of people as he pleased."

"Alex," Izzie said gently, placing a reassuring hand on his bicep.

"And I know I'm not him," Alex went on. "I know I could never be him. It's just, with a history like that…with a father like that…father-son relationships still don't sit that well with me." He looked up and met his wife's eyes. "But they will," he said quietly.

"Yeah?" Izzie asked hopefully; though, in reality, she never doubted it for a second. She knew her husband, and she knew all he really needed was some time to let everything sink in…to realize that he'd be great with a son – that _they'd _be great with a son.

"Yeah?" she repeated, when Alex met her first question with silence.

"Yeah," Alex nodded, resolving to fake it 'til he made it…however long it might take.

xxxxx

Addison sighed heavily as she walked away from the exam room, reassuring herself that Izzie would know exactly what to say or do to reassure Alex.

"Hey," Derek smiled, as he walked up next to her.

"Oh, hey," Addison smiled.

"So, Izzie and Alex are having a boy," Derek assessed.

Addison looked at her husband in confusion. "How did you…were you standing outside the exam room with your ear pressed against the door or something?"

"No," Derek chuckled, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist. "I may not be the best when it comes to reading ultrasounds, but I can read you. And based on your face and body language, I'm guessing that they're having a boy, and Alex didn't take it well."

Addison looked around to make sure that nobody was overhearing their conversation. "They are having a boy," she confirmed. "And Alex…he just needs some time to adjust to the news. But he'll be fine. No, actually, he'll be great."

Derek nodded in agreement. "So, is their appointment over?"

"The exam portion of it is," Addison nodded. "I'm just giving them some time alone…you know, to discuss things."

"How long does do you see that time alone lasting?" Derek asked.

"For them, I'd say about fifteen minutes," Addison answered, glancing down at her watch. "At least."

"Perfect," Derek smiled. "That gives us just enough time to check on Carter and Colette."

"Derek, I've already checked on them three times today," Addison chuckled. "The daycare workers are going to hate me."

"They won't hate you," Derek insisted. "Besides, I've already been in there three times today too. So…" he trailed off, extending his hand toward her. "I'm going to check on them a fourth time. Do you want to come with me?"

Addison met her husband's eyes and smiled. "We're going to need to cut back at some point."

"But not today," Derek insisted. "So, are you coming with me?"

"Yeah," Addison smiled, reaching out and taking her husband's hand. "Of course I am."


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks so much for your feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far. I really appreciate it! Here's the next chapter; I hope you like it. And, as always, thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"Hey," Derek smiled, when he saw his wife standing in the doorway of his office. "I was just about to come find you. My surgery this afternoon got pushed back until tomorrow, so I can pick up Willa from nursery school today."

"Actually, I think we should both go," Addison said cautiously. "I just got off the phone with Willa's teacher. Apparently, Willa got into a fight today."

Derek felt his whole body tense up, his fists immediately balling at his sides at the though of anyone trying to hurt his little girl. "Why would anyone try to start a fight with Willa?" he asked in disgusted disbelief. "She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."

Addison ran a hand through her hair uncomfortably. "Apparently, Willa was the one who started the fight."

"What?" Derek breathed, his eyes widening in astonishment.

"I know," Addison nodded. "I'm as shocked as you are."

"So, what happened?" Derek asked, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of his sweet, innocent daughter not only getting into a fight, but starting a fight.

"I don't know," Addison admitted. "Willa's teacher wouldn't go into detail over the phone. That's why I think it's a good idea for us to go down to her nursery school together."

Derek nodded in agreement. "I'm ready to leave now," he said, grabbing his keys off his desk.

"I am too," Addison nodded. "Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking into Willa's nursery school; and Addison spotted her daughter immediately. Willa was sitting by herself, unhappily, a scratch visible on her left cheek. And Addison swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, taking deep breaths to try to compose herself, as she reminded herself over and over again that her daughter had been responsible for starting whatever fight she had gotten into earlier.

But it wasn't much use. Seeing Willa sitting there unhappily with the scratch on her cheek was heartbreaking, and it took every last ounce of Addison's willpower not to rush over to her daughter and comfort her.

"You okay?" Derek whispered to his wife, sensing Addison's uneasiness.

Addison shook her head. "Honestly, no."

"Me either," Derek agreed, rubbing his wife's back reassuringly, his eyes fixed on their daughter. It didn't matter to him that Willa had started the fight – he couldn't bear seeing his daughter upset and hurting.

He and Addison were about to make their way over to where Willa was sitting, when they were met by Willa's teacher, Maureen Harris.

"Drs. Shepherd," Maureen greeted them politely.

"What happened?" Addison asked in concern, not bothering with formalities.

"I'm sure that what happened today isn't cause for concern," Maureen began gently. "Willa's a good kid, and sometimes kids her age just have off days. But the nursery school's policy is that when students get into fights, their parents need to be notified."

"What exactly happened?" Derek pressed.

Maureen sighed. "Willa kept saying that she wanted to leave school and go to the hospital daycare. And I told her that she'd be able to go as soon as school was over. But she wanted to go right away. And I, of course, told her that she couldn't do that. So, she went over to Jocelyn Rogers, and pinched her. Jocelyn got angry and fought back. It looks like she scratched Willa…but the fight ended pretty quickly. Jocelyn began pulling Willa's hair, and Willa wanted none of that. She started crying and apologizing profusely. Apparently, she doesn't like having her hair pulled."

"Well, who does?" Derek pointed out.

"That's true," Maureen conceded. "But I've seen a lot of hair pulling in my day, and I've never seen anyone flip out about it as much as Willa did today. Although it was probably a good thing…it put an immediate end to the fight."

"I've never even heard Willa mention Jocelyn," Addison confessed.

"Me either," Derek agreed. "Which one is she?" he asked, gesturing towards Willa's classmates.

"She's the other little girl sitting in timeout," Maureen said, motioning across the room.

And as he looked across the room, Derek couldn't help but think that Maureen's use of the word, 'little,' was a bit off the mark. Jocelyn was twice the size of Willa. He turned to Addison and the two of them exchanged a wordless look that silently communicated the question that was running through both of their minds – _why in the world would Willa pick a fight with the biggest kid in her class?_

"Why don't you go over and talk to Willa," Maureen offered, cutting into Addison and Derek's thoughts.

Addison nodded, and she, Derek, and Maureen made their way towards Willa.

"Hey, Willa," Addison said gently.

Willa looked up and met her mother's eyes, tears brimming in her own blue-green eyes.

"What happened today in school?" Addison asked her daughter softly.

"I pinched Jocelyn," Willa admitted. "Then she pulled my hair. Didn't like that."

"You know that pinching isn't nice," Addison told her daughter.

"I know," Willa nodded.

"So, why did you do it?" Derek asked gently.

"Wanted to leave school," Willa said as if the answer were obvious. "Wanted to see Carter and Colette."

"Because today was their first day in the hospital daycare," Addison filled in, following her daughter's line of reasoning.

Willa nodded. "Wanted to make sure they liked it."

"So, you pinched Jocelyn?" Addison asked.

Willa nodded. "I thought I'd get to leave school. But I didn't. And Jocelyn pulled my hair. And I had to go in timeout."

Addison and Derek exchanged a glance before Addison pulled Willa aside, while Derek explained the situation more clearly to Maureen.

"Willa," Addison began gently. "It's good that you wanted to make sure that Carter and Colette liked daycare, but you can't pinch people to get out of school. If you're upset or you want something, you need to tell someone."

"Told Ms. Harris that I wanted to leave."

"I know," Addison nodded. "But we can't always leave places at the exact moment that we want to leave. Sometimes, I want to leave work early and go home, but I can't."

"'Cause you have to save babies, right?"

"Right," Addison smiled. "And sometimes that means I have to stay at work longer than I want to. But I do it. I don't pinch Uncle Alex to try to get out of it. That wouldn't make any sense, would it?"

"No," Willa giggled.

"Exactly," Addison nodded. "So, pinching Jocelyn isn't going to get you out of school any earlier. It's just going to land you in timeout."

"And give me a boo-boo on my face," Willa frowned, bringing her hand to her cheek.

Addison gave her daughter a sympathetic smile, before pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'm sorry you got hurt," she said gently. "But I think you've learned an important lesson…you can't start fights with people."

"I know," Willa nodded. "Won't do it again…promise."

"Okay," Addison smiled. "Let's go over to Jocelyn so that you can tell her that you're sorry."

"Okay," Willa agreed, accepting her mother's extended hand. "Let's go."

xxxxx

"Hey, Willa," Derek began cautiously, as he Addison, and Willa drove back to the hospital together. "Why did you pinch Jocelyn?"

"Told you," Willa sighed. "I wanted to leave school and see Carter and Colette."

"I know," Derek chuckled. "But why did you choose to pinch Jocelyn? She seems like a…a strange choice," Derek explained delicately.

Willa shrugged. "She's mean to kids in school. Not to me. But sometimes she pulls Joshua's hair or scratches Ethan. Sometimes she's mean. And I didn't want to pinch a nice kid."

"So, you pinched the biggest kid in your class?" Derek asked.

"I pinched the meanest kid in my class," Willa corrected. "But I'm not gonna do it again."

"That's good," Addison nodded. "Starting fights doesn't solve anything, and it's just not worth it."

"Yeah," Willa agreed with an exasperated sigh. "So not worth it."

xxxxx

"Hey," Derek smiled, sitting down next to Alex at the bar. "Can I get you another one?" he asked, gesturing towards the empty beer bottle in front of Alex.

"Thanks," Alex nodded.

Derek waved Joe over. "We'll take another…actually," he chuckled, cutting himself off, "we'll take two blue Hawaiians."

"Seriously?" Joe asked in amusement.

"Seriously," Derek nodded.

"Uh, okay," Joe chuckled. "I'll be right back with those."

Derek smiled his thanks, and watched as Joe grabbed the necessary ingredients.

"_Blue_ Hawaiians?" Alex asked skeptically, as he turned to face Derek. "So, Addison told you that Izzie and I are having a boy?"

Derek nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"So…does Izzie know that you're sitting here drinking at three in the afternoon?"

Alex shook his head. "No. Does Addison know you're…Addison sent you here, didn't she?" Alex assessed knowingly.

"She did," Derek confirmed. "The Blue Hawaiians were my own personal touch, though."

"Figures," Alex chuckled.

"Here you go," Joe grinned, placing Alex and Derek's bright blue drinks in front of them. "Two Blue Hawaiians."

"Thanks," Derek nodded, handing Joe his credit card.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Joe smiled, before walking away.

Derek watched Joe's retreating form before turning his attention back to Alex. "You know," he began, "I was really excited when Addison and I found out that Carter was a boy. I mean, with Willa, we both predicted pretty much from the beginning that she was going to be a girl. And we were thrilled. But a part of me always wanted a son…you know, as a way to make up for the relationship that I didn't get to have with my own father."

Alex nodded half-heartedly. "I'm glad you got that."

"Except I didn't," Derek disagreed. "I have an incredible son. But my relationship with Carter isn't going to make up for the relationship that was cut short between me and my dad. And I came to realize that I wouldn't want it to. Because if that's what my relationship with my son was premised on, I wouldn't love him for who he is. And that wouldn't be fair to Carter."

Alex nodded, letting Derek's words sink in.

"Look," Derek said gently. "I know that you don't trust father-son relationships, and I get that. But you and your son won't have the same relationship that you and your father had. And you don't need to worry about using your relationship with your son to in some way fix what happened between you and your father. All you need to worry about is loving your son for who he is. And sure, your past might factor into the way you choose to raise your child, but ultimately, your relationship with your son is about you and him."

Alex sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "That makes a lot of sense," he admitted. "I just…I thought a daughter would be easier. Girls tend to be calmer and sweeter and –"

"Do you know where I just was?" Derek interrupted.

Alex shook his head. "No."

"I just got back from picking Willa up from nursery school. She was in her first fight today."

"What?" Alex asked in surprise. "What kind of jackass would try to hurt Willa? She's the most adorable-"

"Willa started the fight," Derek said flatly.

"That doesn't sound like Willa."

"The fight didn't last long," Derek explained. "Willa pinched one of her classmates. Her classmate fought back, and as soon as she started pulling Willa's hair, Willa freaked out and apologized."

"Protecting the famous Shepherd hair," Alex chuckled knowingly. "That sounds more like Willa. So, why did she pinch her classmate?"

"She wanted to leave school early to make sure that Carter and Colette were having a good first day in the hospital daycare, and her teacher told her she couldn't leave, so she thought that if she got in trouble, she'd get sent home early. Only it didn't work that way." Derek shook his head in amusement. "She pinched the biggest kid in her class. She said the girl she pinched is sometimes mean to the other kids, but Willa's tiny. I don't know what she was thinking."

Alex shrugged. "Your daughter's a good kid. She probably didn't want to go after some innocent kid. And she probably wasn't expecting the other kid to react as violently as she did. Willa's not a fighter."

"That's true," Derek conceded. "But still…I can't understand why she thought pinching one of her classmates would be a good idea."

Alex chuckled. "She wanted to leave school. And, as the daughter of two doctors, she's probably already learned that faking sick isn't an option for her. Pinching the class bully probably seemed like the next best thing."

"Maybe," Derek shrugged. "You're going to be a really good father, Alex," he told his friend sincerely. "You're going to be so good with your son."

"I don't know."

"You are," Derek insisted. "And it's funny. Parent-child relationships tend to have a way of surprising you."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked in confusion.

"You can't predict the type of relationship you're going to have with your children," Derek explained. "Like, take Colette. I loved her from the moment I found out Addison was pregnant, but I never expected our connection to be as strong as it is. It's hard to explain, I guess. But when I hold her…especially when I calm her down after she's been crying, she makes me feel like there's nobody in the world she'd rather have holding her. I don't know. I just…I never expected that."

A small smile spread across Alex's face. "You make it sound so great," he said wistfully.

"That's because it is," Derek smiled. "I mean, it's a lot of work. But it's also great. Really great."

xxxxx

"Alex, is something wrong?" Izzie asked in concern, as she walked into the on-call room that her husband had paged her to. It had been an interesting morning for the two of them – finding out that they were having a son – and she didn't know what to expect from her husband's page.

"Are you busy?" Alex asked.

"I have a consult in forty minutes," Izzie answered.

"Good," Alex smiled. "What I have in mind won't take that long."

"What do you have in mind?" Izzie asked cautiously.

"Come on," Alex smirked, deliberately avoiding Izzie's question, and leading her out of the on-call room, towards the daycare center.

"Uncle Alex, Aunt Izzie," Willa smiled, running up to her uncle and aunt, and wrapping her arms around Alex's legs.

"Hey, Squirt," Alex chuckled, bending down to pick his niece up.

"Willa, what happened to your face?" Izzie asked in concern, taking in the scratch on Willa's cheek.

"Got into a fight at school today," Willa frowned, touching her cheek gingerly. "So not worth it."

"I'll fill you in on the details later," Alex whispered to Izzie before she could ask Willa more questions. "So, Willa," he began, meeting his wife's eyes. "Aunt Izzie and I have some good news and we want to share it with you."

"Really?" Willa asked, her eyes widening in delight.

Alex nodded. "Aunt Izzie and I found out this morning that we're having a little boy."

"A boy," Willa smiled, hugging her uncle tightly. "Really wanted a boy cousin."

And Izzie couldn't help smiling at the scene unfolding in front of her. Sure, she and Alex considered Derek, Addison, Willa, and the twins family; but it warmed her heart to hear those feelings returned…to have Willa call their son her cousin. But what had really touched her was hearing Alex tell Willa that they were having a boy. It was the first time she'd heard him acknowledge it out loud. And he didn't sound petrified. He sounded happy about it.

"I'm glad you're happy," Alex told his niece, ripping Izzie from her thoughts.

"I am," Willa nodded. She looked at her uncle and met his eyes. "Are you happy?"

"I…yeah," Alex smiled. "I think I am."

xxxxx

"It' going to be fine, Lexie," Mark insisted.

"You don't know that," Lexie disagreed. "What if Derek's not okay with it?"

"He's not going to care," Mark chuckled.

"How do you know?" Lexie asked nervously.

"Because he's my best friend. I know him. And I know he'll be fine with this."

"Maybe," Lexie conceded reluctantly. "But what about Addison?"

"She won't care either," Mark shrugged.

"I don't know," Lexie disagreed.

"Trust me," Mark insisted. "Neither of them is going to care. Have you talked to Meredith yet?"

Lexie shook her head. "No. I figured I'd talk to her after you talked to Derek."

"Talked to me about what?" Derek asked, as he lingered in the doorway of Mark's office.

"Derek," Lexie paled. "I-I, I was just going. Um, have a good talk, you two. And I'll, uh, I'll see you later," Lexie stammered, rushing out of Mark's office.

"Is everything okay with her?" Derek asked Mark in confusion.

Mark chuckled. "Pre-wedding jitters."

"Oh," Derek nodded. "So, what's up?"

"Are you doing something different with your hair?" Mark asked. "Because it looks great. Even better than usual."

"Okay, what's going on?" Derek laughed.

"And you smell nice too," Mark complimented. "Are you wearing new cologne?"

Derek shook his head in amusement, knowing that Mark's gratuitous compliments were almost always followed by unpleasant news or him asking an irritating favor.

"So, here's the thing," Mark began. "You're my best man, right?"

"Right," Derek answered cautiously.

"And Meredith…well, she's Lexie's maid of honor."

"Okay…"

"And it's customary for the best man and the maid of honor to walk down the aisle together. And Lexie…Lexie was worried that it might be weird for you, Addison, and Meredith."

"I'm fine with it," Derek shrugged.

Mark sighed in relief. "I knew you would be. And Addison?"

"I'm pretty sure she couldn't care less."

Mark nodded. "I figured as much. So, you're okay with that?"

"Sure," Derek shrugged, his eyes softening. "I'm married to Addison. I'm happy with Addison. We have a life together. We have a family together. And that's all that matters."

"I know," Mark agreed. "I guess Lexie and I just wanted to make sure."

Derek gave his friend a warm smile. "Thanks, Mark," he said earnestly. "But I'm in love with my wife. I'd be an idiot to let anything or anyone come between me and my family."

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "You really would be."

xxxxx

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" Derek said, knocking on Richard Webber's office door.

"Derek," Richard smiled. "Come in. Sit down."

Derek nodded, as he entered the Chief's office, and sat down across from Richard. "So, what's up?" he asked.

"Well," Richard began hesitantly. "Adele and I think it would be best for me…for our marriage…if I retired."

"You're retiring?" Derek asked in disbelief. "But you love your job."

"I do," Richard nodded. "But I've let my devotion to my job overshadow my devotion to my wife and, well…Adele…she's threatening to leave me unless I show her that I view our marriage as a priority. And retiring seems like the right thing to do."

"So, you're stepping down?" Derek asked in confusion.

"I am," Richard confirmed. "And I want you to take my place. I want you to be the new Chief of Surgery."

"Me?" Derek asked in disbelief.

Richard nodded. "Isn't that why you came to Seattle in the first place?"

Derek shook his head. "I came to Seattle to get away from Addison after the affair."

"And how'd that work out for you?" Richard smirked.

Derek grinned at the irony of the situation. "Better than I ever imagined. Not that you have any right to tease me," Derek pointed out. "Addison and I have given you the three cutest grandchildren imaginable."

"That's true," Richard conceded. "But you've also been doing excellent work professionally, Derek…which is why I want you to step in as chief."

"I…" Derek trailed off. He knew that being Chief of Surgery would mean he'd have considerably more work. And he also knew, first hand, the toll that him prioritizing his work over Addison had taken on his marriage. And he couldn't help thinking back to what he'd said to Mark, just a couple hours earlier: _I'd be an idiot to let anything or anyone come between me and my family._ But Chief of Surgery was a big deal. And his marriage with Addison was strong. Maybe they could handle it.

"I, uh, I need to talk things over with Addison," Derek stammered.

"Of course," the Chief nodded. "I wasn't expecting a decision from you today. Just know the position's yours if you want it."

"Thanks," Derek said, doing his best to muster up a genuine smile. "That means a lot."

xxxxx

Derek went home feeling very conflicted. Sure, he was honored that the Chief had selected him to be the next Chief of Surgery. But another part of him worried that this might have serious consequences for his marriage and his family life. The Chief and Adele hadn't been able to make it work. Would he and Addison be any different? And with him and Addison, it wasn't just him and Addison – there were children involved.

He opened the door to his house with a heavy heart, and immediately heard Addison and Willa's voices coming from the living room.

"What if I still have a boo-boo on my face at Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie's wedding?" he heard Willa ask her mother in concern.

"You won't," Addison promised

"But if I do?" Willa asked worriedly.

"Then we'll cover it up with make-up," Addison reassured.

"I like make-up," Willa smiled.

"I know you do," Addison chuckled. "And when you're older, I'll teach you how to put it on."

"Really?" Willa asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Addison smiled.

"Are you trying to give me grey hair?" Derek joked, as he entered the living room to find Addison and Willa sitting on the couch. Addison was holding Colette, and Willa was carefully holding Carter.

Addison smiled at her husband lovingly. "How was the rest of your day?" she asked.

"It was okay," Derek said, kissing her chastely. "I had a meeting with Richard this afternoon, and, uh, there's something I want to run by you."

"Oh?" Addison said, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Hey, Willa," Derek grinned, doing his best to buy himself some time before telling Addison about his and Richard's conversation. "Your cheek is looking a lot better."

Willa nodded. "Doesn't hurt as much either."

Derek chuckled, as he sat down on the couch, in between Willa and Addison, and took Carter from Willa. "Hey, Carter," he cooed, smiling as he looked into his son's piercing blue eyes. "I missed you today."

"You stopped by the hospital daycare about twelve times today," Addison reminded her husband. "When did you have time to miss him?"

"I had plenty of time to miss him," Derek insisted.

Colette looked up at the sound of her father's voice, and began whimpering softly.

"It looks like somebody doesn't want to share her daddy with her brother," Addison chuckled, as she handed Derek Colette in exchange for Carter; and Derek felt his heart melt as Colette instantly relaxed in his arms, a look of pure contentment on her face.

"So," Addison began, her pale blue-green eyes meeting Derek's intense blue ones. "What was it that you said you wanted to discuss?"

"Oh, I…" Derek stammered. He knew he needed to talk to Addison. He needed to tell her about Richard offering him Chief of Surgery. But not now. Right now, he was completely and utterly happy. Right now, there was nowhere he'd rather be than sitting with Addison on their living room couch, with Colette snuggled peacefully in his arms, Carter gurgling happily in Addison's arms, and Willa cuddled up against his side. It was a picture-perfect moment, and he was not about to ruin it.

"Derek?" Addison prodded gently, ripping Derek from his thoughts.

"I, uh," Derek stuttered. He'd tell her. Of course, he'd tell her. And, if he knew him and Addison, they'd discuss it and handle it like adults. But he also knew that this was a sensitive subject for them…that it had almost destroyed them once. So he wasn't exactly in a rush to bring it up.

He looked up and met Addison's eyes, doing his best to give her a convincing smile. "It's nothing."


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Sorry about the wait between chapters. I hope this chapter makes up for it; it's a long one, and all of the couples get a decent amount of time devoted to them. I hope you like it, and thank you so much for reading and for all your great feedback. I really appreciate it!

* * *

Addison smiled contently as she quietly made her way out of the twins' room. She had just put Carter and Colette to bed, and both had gone down easily, a rarity lately. She headed down the stairs, and made her way towards the living room, prepared to spend some time with Derek and Willa; but the sight in front of her caused her to linger a moment.

"So, wait," Willa began, looking up at Derek in confusion. "Is it left, together, right, together? Or is it right, together, left together?"

"Let's see," Derek smiled, taking Willa's little hand in his own. "It's right, together, left together. Right, together, left, together."

Addison couldn't help smiling as she watched her husband and daughter practice the wedding march together in the living room. "Do people still walk down the aisle like that?" she finally asked Derek with a chuckle.

Derek looked up at his wife and shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, smiling down at Willa. "But now she's prepared either way."

"We're practicing for Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie's wedding tomorrow," Willa explained to her mother.

"You're doing a very good job," Addison complimented.

"Do you want to practice too, Mommy?"

"Oh, I," Addison chuckled.

"You can practice with Daddy," Willa offered. "He taught me."

"I think that's a good idea, Willa," Derek approved, linking arms with Addison, as Willa climbed onto the couch so she could watch her parents together.

"She's amazing," Addison smiled, as she and Derek practiced the wedding march around the living room.

"I know," Derek agreed, smiling at his wife lovingly, before glancing over at Willa, who was watching her parents in delight. "I still can't get over how incredible she is."

"You know, I'm pretty sure that nobody does the wedding march anymore," Addison laughed.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Derek chuckled. "But if they do, she's prepared. Hey, Willa," he said, turning his attention to his daughter. "How's Mommy doing?"

"Good," Willa approved with a smile. "Very good."

Addison smiled at her daughter lovingly before leading Derek over to the couch and sitting down next to Willa. "Are you excited for tomorrow?" she asked her daughter, pulling Willa onto her lap, and hugging her close.

"Yeah," Willa nodded. "Really like being a flower girl."

"You're getting a lot of practice, aren't you?" Derek chuckled. "First Aunt Izzie and Uncle Alex's wedding, and now Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie's wedding."

"Yeah," Willa agreed.

Derek smiled widely as he watched Addison cuddle Willa closer. Alex and Izzie's wedding had only been a little over a year ago, but since then, so much had changed. He and Addison had gone from being parents of one child to parents of three, and he felt incredibly lucky. But thinking about his family also reminded him of a conversation that he still needed to have with Addison – a conversation that he'd been putting off for four days now. The conversation he'd had with Richard.

"Daddy," Willa said, cutting into Derek's thoughts.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Want to practice more with me for Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie's wedding?"

Derek met Addison's eyes and smiled. "I love her persistence and dedication. She definitely gets it from you."

"Really?" Addison laughed. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Derek nodded. "It will serve her well in med. school," he winked, before turning his attention back to his daughter. "Sure, Willa," he grinned. "Let's practice the wedding march some more."

xxxxx

"So, you have the rings, right?" Mark confirmed, smoothing down his tux.

Derek chuckled. "Of course I have the rings. I'm a wonderful best man."

"Good," Mark nodded. "So…" he trailed off. "Any words of wisdom?"

Derek grinned at his friend mischievously. "Lexie's great," he began with a chuckle. "But one woman for the rest of your life…it's not what God intended."

"Coming from the man who's married with three kids," Mark shot back with a smirk. "Did I really say those types of things to you at your first wedding?"

"Hey, I'm just getting started," Derek teased. "I still haven't fed you back your line about how God intended for us to have many, _many_ women. A staggering number of women."

Mark shook his head in amusement. "I really was a terrible best man."

Derek shrugged. "Your pep talk wasn't the best," he admitted with a smirk. "I mean, it ended up being more about you than about me and Addison. But you're a good friend, Mark…the best friend I could ask for."

"Thanks," Mark grinned.

Derek smiled at his friend warmly. "You're going to be a great husband too," he continued earnestly. "Lexie's very lucky."

"Thanks man," Mark said sincerely.

"I mean it," Derek insisted, patting Mark's shoulder. "Now, come on. Let's get you married."

xxxxx

"I'm so proud of you," Carolyn beamed, as she and Mark prepared to make their way down the aisle together.

"Thank you," Mark smiled. "And thanks for being here today. And for walking me down the aisle. And for raising me."

"Mark," Carolyn chided. "You're like a son to me, and a brother to Derek. I couldn't imagine not being here for you today. Now, come on," Carolyn grinned, linking her arm with Mark's. "The music's starting. Let's get the show on the road."

Mark and Carolyn walked down the aisle first; followed by Izzie and Alex. And Mark couldn't help smiling as he watched the Karevs together. He knew that this past week had been hard on them; but based on the way they looked today, you'd never guess it. Today, they looked like the picture of happiness.

Addison and Archer walked down the aisle next. "Mommy looks pretty," Willa whispered to her father, as Derek lifted his daughter up so she could watch her mother and uncle walk down the aisle together. Derek could only see his wife from the back, but he knew Willa's assessment was spot on. And he couldn't help chuckling to himself as he remembered the song he'd written about Addison so many years ago, and how Mark had pitched in, rhyming gross anatomy class with Addison's fine ass. All these years later – and three kids later – the lyrics still held up.

And as he watched Addison and Archer, he couldn't help thinking about their relationship, and how he hoped that his own children had the close bond that Addison and Archer had. Sure, Archer could be an arrogant, self-righteous ass; but he was a good brother to Addison. There was no denying that.

Sam Bennett and Lexie's sister, Molly, walked down the aisle together next. And as they made their way towards the altar, Derek put Willa down, and kneeled down to her level. "You ready?" he asked his daughter with a smile.

Willa nodded eagerly, and Derek couldn't resist smiling at how adorable she looked in her little white dress with a deep purple sash around the waist; her dark brown hair, in loose waves, pinned half up and accented with hints of baby's breath flowers.

"You look like a princess," Derek complimented; and as Willa smiled her thanks, he firmed up his long-standing resolution – no dating for her until med. school. "So, remember, Willa," he continued. "Once you walk down the aisle, you can either sit with Grandma, or stand up on the altar with Mommy, okay?"

"Okay," Willa nodded earnestly. "Gonna stand with Mommy."

Derek smiled at his daughter lovingly, figuring that that would be her choice. "Okay," he agreed. "It looks like it's almost time for you to start walking, so get ready."

"Okay," Willa nodded, looking at the wedding planner, and waiting for her signal. "Hey, Daddy," she said, turning to face her father.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"You look very handsome."

"Thank you, Willa," Derek chuckled, watching as the wedding planner gave Willa the go-ahead to begin walking down the aisle.

"Your daughter's precious," the wedding planner complimented, ripping Derek from his thoughts, as he proudly watched Willa walk towards the altar.

"Thank you," Derek smiled, reluctantly turning his attention away from Willa for a moment to meet the wedding planner's eyes.

"You two can start walking down the aisle," the wedding planner said, gesturing towards Derek and Meredith.

Derek nodded, and linked arms with Meredith, and they began making their way down the aisle.

Derek had always known Lexie was smart. A certified genius with a photographic memory, and a doctor – there were no two ways around it, Lexie was smart. But he hadn't realized just how intuitive she was. It was a fact that had become glaringly obvious as he and Meredith walked towards the altar. Lexie had worried that him and Meredith walking down the aisle together might be awkward or a bad idea; but he, Addison, and Mark had brushed her concerns off as nothing. But Lexie had been right.

And as Derek walked arm in arm with Meredith, he felt a dull pain in his stomach. Suddenly the faint scent of her lavender shampoo – a smell that he'd once loved – was overwhelming, and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he thought about the type of life he might have had if he'd stayed with Meredith, and not given him and Addison another shot. The type of life he might have had if he and Meredith had walked down the aisle, not as best man and maid of honor, but as husband and wife.

Maybe they'd be happy. But he knew that their happiness wouldn't even come close to the happiness that he and Addison had. Maybe they'd have a kid or two. But these kids wouldn't be Willa, Carter, and Colette; and that thought was unbearable. Maybe he'd build their dream house on the land he used to own. But it wouldn't be the home that he and Addison had made – the place where Willa had taken her first steps and said her first words, the place where Carter and Colette were conceived, the place where he'd proposed to Addison for a second (and final) time.

He swallowed hard and met Addison's eyes, feeling his heart melt a little as he took her in; she was holding Willa, her eyes reassuring, focused on him, making him feel like he was all that mattered to her.

Izzie must have picked up on the feeling too because she leaned in towards Addison and discretely whispered, "Hey, are you okay?"

Addison nodded, still keeping her eyes fixed on Derek. "I'm fine," she whispered back. "I just, I'm in love with my husband."

Izzie smiled. "I can tell that. Um, if you two are planning on getting a hotel room…or a bathroom stall…or a coat closet during the reception, I can watch Willa."

Addison blushed, amazed but not surprised that Izzie had the guts to say something like that inside a church, in the middle of a wedding. "I'll keep that in mind," she whispered.

The words had barely left her mouth when everyone's attention turned towards the back of the church. Lexie had begun to walk down the aisle.

To Lexie, it all felt like a dream. She was walking down the aisle towards the man of her dreams. When she first started working at Seattle Grace, she quickly learned about Mark Sloan and his reputation – a man-whore who was good for a quick screw, but nothing serious. But, over time, she got to know the real Mark Sloan – the kind, giving man, who wasn't just a world-class doctor, but an incredible guy as well. He was the type of man she dreamed of marrying. The type of man she dreamed of starting a family with. And the type of man she imagined herself growing old with.

She loved him. That went without saying. But as she took in the look of pure awe and adoration on Mark's face as she walked toward him, she loved him a little more than usual.

From there, everything happened so quickly. Vows were exchanged, happy tears were shed. And before she knew it, the minister was smiling at them fondly. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

xxxxx

"Hey, what do you say, we get out of here?" Mark whispered seductively into Lexie's ear, as they danced together.

"Mark," Lexie chastised. "It's our wedding. People will notice that we're missing."

"Not if we're quick," Mark disagreed

"Mark, there are a lot of people here celebrating with us."

"I'm not suggesting that we have sex in front of them," Mark defended. "But what kind of newlyweds would we be if we didn't have sex at our wedding reception?"

"Perfectly respectable ones," Lexie answered.

"Come on, Lex, we'll be quick."

"Not possible. This dress is ridiculously intricate. You wouldn't be able to bustle it back up."

"I hate to break it to you, Lexie," Mark smirked. "But I'm a surgeon. And I happen to be very good with my hands."

"Well, I'm not going to argue with that," Lexie grinned. "But, still, how many wedding dresses have you bustled lately?"

"I don't really know what you're asking me," Mark admitted. "I mean, I'm kind of hoping that that's some type of sexual innuendo or-"

"Mark," Lexie scolded, as they continued to dance together.

"Okay, fine," Mark conceded. "So I've never bustled a wedding dress before. But we can just call Addison or Izzie in to do it for you."

"And while we do that, I may as well just announce to them that we had sex…because they're obviously going to know."

"Well, I'm not sure an announcement is really necessary," Mark chuckled.

"Mark."

"I can guarantee you that Addison won't care," Mark insisted. "And I'm pretty sure Izzie won't either. So, let's just-"

"Dance," Lexie filled in quickly. "Let's just dance."

Mark smiled widely before leaning in and kissing her softly. "Will you at least think about it?" he bargained when they broke apart.

Lexie looked at her husband and gave him a mischievous smile. "I guess there's no harm in thinking about it."

xxxxx

"Okay, so what exactly did your husband say to my husband?" Izzie asked Addison, as they watched Derek dance with Willa. "Because whatever it was, it worked."

"I don't know," Addison admitted, reluctantly turning her attention away from her husband and daughter to meet Izzie's eyes. "Derek just said that he and Alex drank a couple of Blue Hawaiians and talked. He didn't go into specifics."

"Well, whatever he said, I appreciate it."

Addison smiled at her friend warmly. "I think that Alex just needed some time to realize what everyone else has already known…that he's going to be such a good dad. And he's going to be so good with a son. I guess Derek just kind of sped up the process."

Izzie smiled at the thought of Alex and Derek having a heart to heart over a couple of Blue Hawaiians. "Hey, I was thinking-." But she quickly cut herself off, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I'll, uh, I'll catch up with you later."

"Is everything okay?" Addison asked, confused by the abrupt end that Izzie had just brought their conversation to.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Izzie nodded. "I just, I'll see you in a little bit," she said, oblivious to the confused look on Addison's face as she turned and walked away.

She quickly spotted Alex in line at the bar, and made her way towards him.

"Hey," she smiled. "Come to the hotel lobby with me for a second?"

"I was just gonna order a drink," Alex said. "Can I meet you out there?"

"Lobby first, drink later," Izzie bargained.

"Okay," Alex agreed, smiling at his wife adoringly, as she led them out of the banquet hall and into the lobby.

"So, what's up?" Alex asked once they were alone.

"I…just a sec-." But she cut herself off, her hand immediately flying to her stomach.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alex asked, eyes widening in concern.

"Yeah, yeah," Izzie confirmed with a smile. "It's just…here," she said, taking Alex's hand, and pressing it against her stomach, over the spot where their son was kicking.

"Oh my god," Alex breathed, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Izzie felt her heart flutter as she watched the awestruck look on her husband's face. Feeling their son kick for the first time had rendered Alex – a man who had a response or a smart retort for everything – speechless. And she couldn't help smiling as she continued to watch her husband. The fear and doubt that had been so clear in his eyes just days earlier were nowhere to be found; the only thing she detected now was pure happiness.

"So, um, you wanna go back inside?" she asked, once their son had stopped kicking. "Maybe get that drink you were talking about?"

Alex shook his head. "Let's just wait out here a little longer," he suggested, pulling Izzie onto a nearby couch and gently rubbing the spot where he had felt their son kick moments earlier. "Maybe he'll start up again."

xxxxx

"Hey," Derek smiled, wrapping his arms around Addison's waist and leading her out onto the dance floor. "So, I just called the nanny to check in on Carter and Colette. And she said everything's going smoothly. And I didn't hear either of them crying hysterically in the background. So, I think we're good."

Addison smiled at her husband's words before pulling him in a little closer as they danced together. Sure, their marriage was strong, but seeing him walk down the aisle earlier in the day with Meredith had affected her in a way she hadn't expected. "I love you," she murmured, kissing him softly.

Derek met her eyes and smiled. "You're the only person I'd want to end up with," he whispered against her hair. "You know that, right? You and our kids…you know that?"

"Yeah," Addison nodded, smiling contently.

"Speaking of which, where's Willa?" Derek asked.

"Oh, she's with Archer," Addison laughed, motioning across the dance floor to where her brother was dancing with Willa. "Apparently, he's using her to pick up women."

"Oh, and how's that working out for him?" Derek asked in disgusted amusement.

"I don't know," Addison admitted. "It's still too soon to tell."

Derek chuckled, as he watched his brother-in-law with Willa. "You've got to admit, it's one of his better pick-up moves. He's actually a pretty good uncle to her. And she clearly loves him."

Addison nodded in agreement.

"And…it looks like he has a taker," Derek laughed, as an attractive blonde began making her way over to where Archer and Willa were dancing and began striking up a conversation.

"Now the real question is what is he going to do with Willa now that someone's showing interest in him?" Addison muttered, as she watched her brother and daughter closely, her heart melting a little when she saw Archer grab Bailey's son, Tucker, to dance with Willa.

"Derek," Addison chuckled, feeling her husband immediately tense up. "Come on," she laughed, as she watched her daughter dance with Tucker. "You've got to admit it's kind of cute."

"Mark my word, I'm going to chaperone every single school dance that she ever attends," Derek resolved adamantly.

Addison smiled at her husband adoringly; she loved how protective he was over Willa.

"Shepherds!" Bailey's voice cut in harshly; and Addison and Derek turned to look at her.

"I know, I know," Derek nodded, as he followed Bailey's gaze over to where Willa and Tucker were dancing like little grownups.

"I like Willa," Bailey began. "She's sweet and calm and well-mannered. But she's also one half McDreamy…and that's what worries me."

"Oh, come on, Miranda," Addison laughed. "It's adorable and you know it."

Bailey gave a slight concessionary nod before fixing her attention on Derek, a small smirk on her face. "Just wait until she's a teenager," she chuckled. "You're not going to know what to do with yourself."

"I'm struggling now," Derek admitted with a laugh.

"And I'm enjoying every second of it," Bailey grinned smugly before walking away to keep an eye on Willa and Tucker.

Derek watched her retreating form before fixing his attention on his wife. "So, uh, I need to talk to you about something," he began hesitantly.

"Is everything okay?" Addison asked in concern, registering the serious tone of her husband's voice. "Do you want to have this conversation outside?"

Derek shook his head. "No," he said, as they continued to dance together. "Because I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do. If I didn't, it would be a more serious conversation. But I think I made up my mind."

"About what?" Addison asked in confusion.

"Richard's retiring," Derek confided. "He wants to save his marriage, so he's stepping down as Chief so he can spend more time with Adele."

"And he offered you the position?" Addison asked.

"He did," Derek nodded. "Only, I don't think I can take it."

"Why not?" Addison asked in confusion.

"Because," Derek began, as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind Addison's ear. "Because Richard was a workaholic and it destroyed his marriage. You and I already got a glimpse of what that type of life looks like…and I could never do that again. And then today when I was walking down the aisle with Meredith, I just kept thinking about how happy I am that I ended up with you…and with our kids…and with our life. And I don't want to destroy what you and I have. Ever. In any way."

"So, you're going to turn Richard down?" Addison asked gently.

Derek nodded. "I think so. What do you think?"

Addison kissed her husband softly. "I think you're an incredible doctor, who worked really hard to get where he is. And I think you should take the position."

"You what?" Derek breathed in surprise.

"I think you should take the position, Der."

"But what about us?"

"Derek, you and I…we're strong. And I've never met a father who loves his children the way you love Willa, Carter, and Colette."

"So you don't think that me being Chief is going to change anything?"

"You may have more work," Addison conceded. "But I don't think it's going to change anything. Because you've shown time and time again where your priorities lay. And at the end of the day, if a person doesn't want to spend time with their family, they'll find an excuse not to…a work-related one, or a completely different one. And that's not you, Derek. That could never be you anymore."

"So, you don't think Richard should retire," Derek assessed knowingly.

Addison smiled at her husband warmly; Derek had picked up on the subtext of what she had just said. "I don't know," she admitted. "He's got to do what's right for him and Adele. But I'm telling you that as far as you and me are concerned, if you want to be Chief, I'm behind you one-hundred percent. And the kids are behind you too."

Derek smiled at his wife adoringly. "I-I don't know what I'm going to do," he confessed. "I mean, up until a couple of minutes ago, I was prepared to decline. Now…now…I guess I have to think about it." He met Addison's eyes and smiled. "You're incredible, you know that?" he whispered before kissing her softly.

"I'm proud of you, Derek," Addison murmured against his lips. "Really proud."

Derek smiled before drawing her in closer and kissing her deeply; and both he and Addison allowed themselves to get lost in the kiss.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Mark cut in, as Addison and Derek pulled away from each other, their eyes still clouded with desire. "I can see that you two are clearly having a moment, but I kind of need your help."

"Sure, Mark," Derek grinned, patting Mark on the shoulder. "I'm your best man, so whatever you need today, I'm your guy."

"Um, actually I need Addison," Mark admitted with a chuckle. "Or whichever one of you is better at bustling a wedding dress."


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your nice feedback on the last chapter and on this story so far. I love hearing what you think! It's really awesome to be able to write for and be part of this amazing community. I hope you like this chapter. And, as always, thank you so much for reading!

* * *

"I've got it," Derek assured his wife, as Carter's cries sounded over the baby monitor.

"Are you sure?" Addison asked tiredly.

"I'm sure," Derek nodded. "I was up anyway," he added, before getting out of bed and making his way towards the twins' room.

"Hey, Carter," he cooed softly, lifting his son out of his crib, and rushing him out of his room before he had time to wake up his still-peacefully-sleeping sister. "Let's take you downstairs."

"So, what's up, Little Guy?" Derek asked his son softly. "You don't feel like you need to be changed. And you were just fed an hour ago. What's wrong, Carter? Just can't sleep?"

"I can't sleep either," Derek admitted after a moment, pressing a kiss to his son's forehead, as he rocked Carter gently. "I have my meeting with Richard tomorrow, and I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. Your mom thinks I should take the job, and I think she's right. I just…I'm really happy with the way things are."

Derek smiled as he looked down at his son, whose cries had subsided into soft whimpers, and whose piercing blue eyes were looking up into his intently. "It's a good type of problem to have, I know," Derek admitted, as he continued to rock Carter. "Especially considering everything our family's been through these past couple of years. But, still, I want to make sure I make the right choice…because I know as well as anyone how much it hurts to make the wrong one."

"I think I can do it," Derek said after a moment. "I think I can be a good father and husband, and a good chief of surgery. What do you think?" Derek asked, chuckling when his nearly four-month-old son met his question with silence.

"You're bored with this conversation, aren't you?" Derek teased. "Okay, okay…you can pick the next topic. So, what do you want to talk about? Medicine? Fishing?"

He looked down at his son and smiled when he noticed Carter's eyelids growing heavy with sleep. Sure, Derek knew that he could technically bring Carter back to his crib, but there was something about sitting there, holding his son that made his worries about the next day and what he was going to say to Richard melt away.

He pressed a gentle kiss to Carter's forehead and cuddled him close. "How about we just sit here together and I rock you to sleep?"

xxxxx

"So," Mark grinned mischievously, leaning back a little in his airplane seat. "You know what could be fun?"

Lexie turned her attention from the airplane window and met her husband's eyes. "Joining the mile high club?" she asked knowingly.

"How did you-"

"Because I know you, Mark. I think we should do it."

"Now before you say no-"

"I said we should do it," Lexie cut in with a chuckle.

"Wait, seriously?" Mark asked in surprise.

Lexie shrugged. "Sure, why not? We already had sex at our wedding reception. We might as well have sex in one of the airplane bathrooms. Plus," she continued, smiling widely, "it could be fun. You know, like a little warm-up for our honeymoon."

"You mean, you're not even going to bring up how having sex in an airplane bathroom is cliché? Or how there's practically no room in there?"

"Mark, are you trying to sell me on sex, or convince me against it? Because right now, it's not exactly clear."

"I'm selling sex," Mark insisted.

"And now you kind of sound like a male prostitute," Lexie chuckled, smiling at her husband lovingly.

"Just meet me in the bathroom in two minutes," Mark said, unbuckling his seatbelt and standing up.

Lexie nodded, and Mark leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "Two minutes," he reminded her. "Don't be late, Mrs. Sloan."

xxxxx

"Hey," Alex greeted his wife, as he joined her at one of the hospital cafeteria tables. "I picked this up the other day," he smiled, gesturing to the book of baby names in his hands. "It's supposed to be the latest edition."

Izzie gave her husband a weak smile. "I, uh, thanks, Alex."

"What's wrong?" Alex asked in confusion. "I thought it might be fun to start thinking about names." He looked at his wife closely. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Um, yeah, yeah…nothing's wrong," Izzie lied. "And you're right. We should start thinking about names. I just…not today, okay?"

"Okay," Alex shrugged, confused by his wife's demeanor. "Are you sure everything's okay, Iz. If you want to talk, I-"

"I know," Izzie nodded, doing her best to muster up a convincing smile. "But I'm fine. I, uh, I should go, though. Patient."

"Oh. Okay," Alex nodded. "I, uh, I guess I'll see you later then."

Izzie offered her husband a quick smile before standing up and made her way out of the cafeteria, nearly colliding with Addison as she rushed past the nurses' station.

"Hey," Addison smiled. "You're just the person I wanted to see, actually. Hey, are you okay?" she asked in concern, as she took in the look on Izzie's face.

"I, uh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine," Izzie said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Addison asked, clearly unconvinced.

"I'm fine," Izzie insisted. "So, um, you mentioned you wanted to see me?" she asked, desperately trying to redirect the conversation.

"Yeah. I did," Addison nodded. "I was wondering if you'd be able to pick Willa up from nursery school today. Alex and I have surgery, and Derek has a meeting with Richard. And Mark and Lexie are on their honeymoon, so-"

"Of course I can get Willa," Izzie cut in with a smile.

"Thank you," Addison smiled appreciatively. "So, uh, are you sure you don't want to talk?"

"I'm fine," Izzie insisted.

Addison gave Izzie a skeptical look. "I don't believe you," she admitted. "But if you do want to talk, you know-"

"I know," Izzie nodded. "Thank you, Addison."

xxxxx

"Aunt Izzie!" Willa exclaimed excitedly, rushing over to Izzie and wrapping her little arms around her aunt's legs. "You're picking me up from school today?"

"I am," Izzie smiled. "You ready to go?"

Willa nodded, and Izzie took her by the hand and led her to the car. They were nearing the hospital, when Izzie got an idea.

"Hey, Willa," Izzie began. "What do you say you and me go for ice cream before we head back to the hospital?"

"Really?" Willa asked excitedly from her car seat in the back.

"Really," Izzie nodded, amused by Willa's enthusiasm, and relieved that the little girl was on board with her idea; she wasn't ready to head back to work just yet, and stopping for ice cream seemed like the perfect detour.

Five minutes later, she and Willa were sitting in an ice cream shop, each with a chocolate sundae in front of them.

"Thank you, Aunt Izzie," Willa grinned, as she neatly spooned out another bite of sundae.

"Thanks for coming with me," Izzie smiled. "It wouldn't be as much fun alone."

Willa met Izzie's eyes and smiled. "You're gonna be a good mommy," she said earnestly.

And Izzie swallowed hard at Willa's words. "Really?" she choked out. "You think so?"

Willa nodded. "Yeah. 'Cause I love you so much. And Carter and Colette love you so much. And I really like going to your house and playing with you and Uncle Alex. And you like to do fun things like get ice cream and bake cookies."

"Thank you, Willa," Izzie smiled, doing her best to keep the tears that were stinging her eyes at bay.

Willa shrugged. "You're welcome."

And Izzie couldn't resist chuckling at that. Willa had brushed off the compliment she had just given as nothing; but to Izzie, it meant more than the little girl realized. Especially today. Because today was Hannah's sixteenth birthday.

She always thought about Hannah on her birthday; but for some reason, this year was different, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Maybe it was because it was Hannah's sixteenth birthday, and that's a big year. Or maybe because that's the age Izzie was when she'd had Hannah. Or maybe it was because, this year, Izzie was pregnant with a child that she had every intention of keeping. Whatever the reason, it was different.

And that's why she was so affected when Alex suggested that they look at baby names together. It wasn't that she didn't want to; but doing it today didn't seem right. She knew he'd understand if she told him, but he had seemed so happy, she didn't want to bring him down with her.

She knew she did the right thing giving Hannah up for adoption, but that didn't stop the pang of sadness that she felt every year on Hannah's birthday…a sadness that, for whatever reason, was worse this year.

"Are you sad, Aunt Izzie?" Willa asked in concern.

Izzie looked up from her sundae and met her niece's eyes. "I was a little sad earlier," she admitted, before offering Willa a wide smile. "But being here with you is making me feel a lot better."

xxxxx

"Addison," Derek called out as he walked through the front door of their house. More often than not, they tried to leave work together; but since Derek didn't know how long his meeting with Richard was going to take, he had suggested that she leave before him. "Addie?"

"In the living room," he heard Addison's voice call out.

And as he made his way towards the living room, he couldn't help smiling at the sight in front of him – Addison was sitting on the couch with Willa, Carter, and Colette. On the coffee table were two champagne flutes, one filled with champagne, the other filled with water, and a plastic champagne flute filled with what Derek could only assume was sparkling apple cider.

"Hey," Derek smiled, as he bent down to kiss Addison softly.

"Hey," she smiled. "Congratulations, Honey."

"Good job being good at work, Daddy," Willa chimed in.

"Thank you, Sweetie," Derek chuckled, pressing a kiss to Willa's forehead. "How was school?"

"Good," Willa smiled. "Went for ice cream with Aunt Izzie."

"That sounds fun," Derek nodded, as he accepted Colette from Addison, a wide smile forming on his face as he took in his kids' outfits. Carter and Colette were wearing matching _Team Daddy _onsies, and Willa was wearing a white t-shirt that read, _I Love Shoes, Bags, and Daddy_. With the exception of rare occasions, Addison almost never dressed the kids in novelty clothing. This was one of those occasions, and it made his heart melt.

"Addie," he smiled, as he held his son close. "You didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to. I'm proud of you, Derek. We all are."

"Speaking of which," Derek began.

But Addison cut him off with a teasing smile. "Speaking of which," she smirked, "nobody likes warm champagne. Here," she said, handing him a flute of champagne, before handing Willa the plastic, cider-filled glass. "Congratulations, Derek," Addison smiled, clinking her water-filled champagne flute against his. "You deserve this."

"Thanks, Addie," he said sincerely. "But I didn't take the job."

"Wait, what?" Addison asked in surprise

Derek shrugged innocently. "I didn't take the job."

Addison stared at her husband in confusion. "Why not?"

Derek gave her a soft smile as he thought back to his meeting with Richard, just an hour earlier.

"_Richard, can I come in?" Derek asked, knocking on his boss' slightly open office door._

"_Derek," Richard smiled, looking up from his paperwork. "Come on in. Take a seat."_

"_Thank you," Derek nodded, as he sat down across from Richard._

"_So…" Richard trailed off. "I take it you've reached a decision."_

_Derek nodded. "I did. You're not ready to retire yet."_

_Richard sighed. "Be that as it may, my marriage-"_

"_Isn't going to fall apart if you keep your job," Derek cut in._

"_But I'm always working."_

"_Are you always working?" Derek asked. "Or are you using your work as an excuse?"_

"_I…" Richard trailed off hesitantly._

"_Come on, Richard. It's me you're talking to…I've been down this road. And I've come out the other side without quitting my job."_

"_You think I'm using my work as an excuse to not make time for Adele?" Richard asked._

_Derek shrugged. "I can't say for certain. I'm not in your marriage. But I do know this," he said, thinking back to what Addison had said to him at Mark and Lexie's wedding. "If a person doesn't want to spend time with his wife or his family, he'll find an excuse…a work-related one or a completely different one. But he'll find an excuse."_

_Richard sighed heavily. "I don't know, Derek."_

"_I've seen you with Adele," Derek began. "And I know you love her. But I also know that you love your job. And if you quit your job to save your marriage, you're going to resent Adele. And you're not going to save your marriage."_

"_I-"_

"_You're not ready to retire, Chief. But if you truly believe you are, I'll step in and be Chief of Surgery. But you're not ready to retire."_

_Richard nodded, letting Derek's words sink in. "So, you really think my marriage can be saved?"_

"_I think it can," Derek nodded. "But what I think doesn't really matter. What do you think?"_

_Richard smiled. "I think you and I should take tomorrow off and spend the day with our wives."_

"_Are you saying this as Chief of Surgery?" Derek asked with a grin._

_Richard nodded. "I am. As Chief of Surgery, I'm giving you tomorrow off. Enjoy the day with Addison and the kids."_

_Derek smiled. "That sounds good, Chief. Just one small problem."_

"_What's that?"_

"_Addison's working tomorrow."_

"_Oh," Richard laughed. "Well, when you see her tonight, be sure to tell her that she has tomorrow off too."_

"I couldn't take the job," Derek concluded, once he'd finished his story. "Richard's not ready to retire yet."

Addison smiled at her husband lovingly. "You know it's almost too bad you're such a good neurosurgeon," she mused. "Because you'd make a pretty good marriage counselor."

"I don't know about that," Derek chuckled.

Addison smiled before leaning in and kissing her husband softly. "I'm proud of you, Derek," she murmured against his lips. "I would have been proud of you no matter what decision you made, but…I'm really, really proud of you," she smiled, kissing Derek deeply, both of them immediately getting lost in the kiss.

"Mommy," Willa said, causing Addison and Derek to break apart from each other.

Addison turned to look at her daughter. "Yes, Willa?"

"Is it okay if we still have cake for Daddy?"

"You bought me a cake?" Derek asked in surprise.

Addison nodded.

"I picked it out," Willa said proudly.

"She did pick it out," Addison admitted with a chuckle. She turned her attention back to their daughter and smiled. "We can still have Daddy's cake."

"'Cause we're really proud of Daddy, right?"

Addison looked from her daughter to her husband and smiled. "Yeah. We really are."

xxxxx

"Alex," Izzie called out, as she let herself into their house. "Alex?" she repeated, as she wandered from room to room looking for her husband.

She finally found him sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey," she said softly. "About what happened earlier today, I should exp-"

But she cut herself off as she walked closer to her husband and noticed that there were two vanilla cupcakes on the table – one in front of him, and one that she could only assume was for her.

"You don't need to explain anything," Alex said gently.

Izzie looked at her husband in confusion. She'd been inexplicably distant with him all day. Even if her feelings today were justified, she still felt like she owed Alex an explanation.

"Today's Hannah's birthday," Alex said softly, as Izzie sat down at the table, her eyes flitting between her husband and the cupcake in front of her.

"Yeah," she choked out.

Alex gave her a small, reassuring smile; and the two of them sat there in silence as Izzie fought for composure.

"Are the cupcakes...are they birthday cupcakes?" she finally managed to ask.

"Only if you want them to be."

A small smile graced Izzie's features. "I want them to be."

"Me too."

"Thanks for doing this, Alex."

Alex smiled slightly. "Once I remembered what day it was, it didn't seem right to let her birthday go uncelebrated."

Izzie nodded in agreement, pretty sure it was impossible for her to love her husband any more than she did right now. "How did you remember that today was Hannah's birthday anyway?" she asked in confusion. "I mean, yes, we've talked about it before. But you're a guy. And guys don't remember things like this."

Alex shrugged. "I may not remember all the intricate, little details…like what type of salmon we served at our wedding or what you were wearing yesterday. But the big things…the important things…I remember them."

"Really?"

Alex nodded. "You felt contractions a few hours before your European History final," he began, his eyes connecting with Izzie's. "But you didn't tell anyone, because you were so tired of everyone treating you differently. You just wanted to take your finals like a regular sophomore. So you decided to take the exam before checking yourself into the hospital...which I'd say, as a doctor, who specializes in that field, was a pretty crazy decision. But as your husband, who knows you better than anyone, I wouldn't expect anything different from you."

Izzie chuckled at Alex's words before growing serious, as she reflected back on that day, sixteen years ago. Alex's version of the story was pretty spot on – one minute she was furiously scribbling down the names of the English monarchs in between contractions; hours later, she was giving birth to a seven pound baby girl.

"Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hannah," Izzie said quietly, dipping her finger into the vanilla frosting of her cupcake, and licking it clean.

"Happy Birthday, Hannah," Alex smiled, taking a bite of his own cupcake.

And as Izzie ate her birthday cupcake, she thought about Hannah…and how she hoped that wherever she was right now, and whatever she was doing, she was having the sixteenth birthday she deserved.

"You know, Willa told me she thought I'd be a good mother today," Izzie said after a moment, a small smile coming to her face.

"Willa's right," Alex agreed. "You already showed that you were a good mother with Hannah. You gave her an incredible life…even if that life wasn't with you. And you and I both know you're going to be amazing with…" he trailed off, gesturing towards her stomach.

"Clarence?" Izzie filled in, meeting her husband's eyes questioningly.

"Clarence? Really, Iz? I thought we were having a baby, not an old man."

"Okay, so Clarence may not be the trendiest baby name," Izzie admitted with a chuckle. "But I don't know, there's something about that name that I like. There's just something about it."

"There's something about it that's going to pretty much invite all the kids on the playground to beat him up," Alex smirked.

"You really don't like that name, do you?" Izzie asked with a laugh.

"I think that's putting it mildly," Alex chuckled.

"Okay, fine," Izzie conceded. "Clarence is out." She met her husband's eyes and smiled. "We've still got time to think of something."

Alex nodded, picking up on the subtext of Izzie's words; they'd discuss names, just not today. "You know, I bet she's having a great sixteenth birthday," he reassured his wife, certain that her mind had drifted back to Hannah.

Izzie met her husband's eyes and smiled. "Yeah," she agreed. "She deserves it."

xxxxx

"I've got it," Addison told her husband tiredly, as Colette's cries sounded over the baby monitor.

"You were just up an hour ago feeding her," Derek reasoned. "It's my turn."

"Thank you," Addison mumbled, snuggling deeper into her pillow.

Derek smiled at his wife adoringly before leaving their bedroom and making his way towards the twins' nursery.

"Hey, Colette," Derek whispered softly, as he lifted his crying daughter from her crib, and taking her out of the room so as not to disturb Carter, who was still sleeping peacefully. "What's the matter?" he cooed, pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead, as he carried her downstairs.

He sat down on the living room couch and cuddled Colette against his chest, rubbing her tiny back gently. "Is that better?" he smiled when he noticed his daughter was settling down. "Did you just want to be held?"

"Daddy made a big work decision today," he said softly, smiling down at his daughter, who's little cheek was resting against his shoulder, her pale blue-green eyes staring at him intently. "Actually, I'd be lying if I said it was entirely a work decision," he admitted, gently stroking Colette's baby-soft cheek with the back of his index finger. "I really want Richard and Adele's marriage to work out," he told his daughter softly. "Because Richard's done so much for me over the years…and not just as my teacher and my boss."

He smiled at his daughter lovingly, as he rubbed soft circles on her back. "Richard played a big part in saving my marriage," he confided softly. "And that's one of the reasons I want to help him save his. I bet you didn't know this, Colette…but Richard was the one who called your mom out to Seattle. And Richard was the one who offered her a job here. He gave her a reason to stay when I didn't."

"That's not true, Derek," Addison's voice softly interjected.

Derek looked up from Colette to see Addison lingering in the living room doorway watching him and Colette, a look of pure adoration on her face. "Addison," he smiled, his eyes softening.

"Daddy's not telling you the right version of the story, Colette," Addison smirked, as she joined her husband and daughter on the couch. She met Derek's eyes and smiled. "Richard offered me the job, but I stayed because of you."

Derek looked at his wife skeptically, as he thought back to her early days in Seattle. It wasn't a portion of his life he was particularly proud of.

"I could have gotten a job anywhere," Addison went on, ripping Derek from his thoughts. "And New York had our friends and family and our practice. But Seattle had you. And, to me, that was worth everything. Richard may have offered me the job here, but you were my reason for staying."

Addison looked down at Colette, and rubbed her tiny back gently. "This is one of those 'do as I say, not as I do' type stories," she told her daughter with a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't want you to base your important life decisions around a boy."

Derek looked down at his daughter and smiled before meeting his wife's eyes. "Even if he's the right boy?" he whispered vulnerably.

Addison gave her husband a loving smile, before gently covering Colette's little ears with her hands. "I guess you're the exception."

* * *

A/N: As much as I wish I could take credit for the adorable sayings on Willa's shirt and Carter and Colette's onsies, they're not mine. I googled novelty onseis and children's t-shirts, and used my favorites. Just wanted to make sure I'm giving credit where it's due. Thanks again for reading!


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